


Hearts Touched By Moonlight

by Quackyeon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Historical AU, Korean War, M/M, Smut, Soulmate AU, au compliant violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 49,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quackyeon/pseuds/Quackyeon
Summary: At the close of the Second World War and Pacific War, with the Chinese Revolution looming, soulmates Sehun and Tao make the decision to return back to Pyongyang, Sehun's birthplace to help build the country back up from the destruction left in the wake of the Japanese occupation. Sehun quickly aligns himself with Jongin, a high ranking politburo, but soon discovers that tensions boil under the surface and war is in fact brewing in the Korean peninsula. Sehun finds himself torn between his soulmate - the name he bears on his wrist - and the country he loves, the country he just feels deserves a second chance, a place he could be free.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongin | Kai, Huang Zi Tao | Z.Tao/Oh Sehun, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Park Chanyeol, Kim Minseok | Xiumin/Lu Han, Wu Yi Fan | Kris/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15
Collections: EXO Big Bang Writing Event





	1. Sehun

**Author's Note:**

> My thanks to notes will be at the end of the last chapter, purely because there is a glossary which will be at the start of every chapter with the important names and words that come up. 
> 
> **Glossary**
> 
> Historical Figures  
> Chiang Kai Shek - Leader of the Kuomintang, Leader of the Republic of China (Taiwan)  
> Kim Tu-Bong - member of the Chinese faction of North Korea's Communist Party  
> Mu Chong - de facto leader of the 'Chinese' Korean faction of North Korea's Communist party  
> Pak Hon-yong - member of the domestic faction of North Korea's Communist Party, was in line to be leader. 
> 
> Terms  
> Kuomintang - The current Chinese National Party in Taiwan, had a military force in mainland China  
> Kisa - kitten, term of endearment  
> Luchik - derivative of sun ray, term of endearment  
> Nascent - a diplomat sent by the USSR, in this case to establish the country and maintain Soviet control  
> Politburo - the principal policymaking committee of a communist party.

Sehun sighed looking at his wrist - he loved looking at their soulmark, he'd been obsessed with it since he was a child and he'd noticed that his parents had two names on his wrist, while he had only had one. He was born in Pyongyang but his parents had run away when the Japanese began cracking down on those who were critical of them - and Sehun's dad was a leader of a group moving against them. Leaving had been the best option, however, unlike his older brother Sehun couldn't read his soulmark. They moved to Manchuria, not too far from their home but still safe at the time. Sehun was about four when his mom sat him down, and explained that soulmarks came in two parts, the first part was your name written in your soulmates handwriting, and the second part was once you met - it was their name in their handwriting. As Sehun got older he was still obsessed with his soulmark - at school he learnt that it was written in Mandarin. His soulmate was here - well somewhere here, China was vast - and he could only hope that his soulmate was in Manchuria with him. He just wanted to meet his soulmate. Sehun was very lucky, he didn't have to wait too long, he met Zitao when they were both thirteen, and even without the whole soulmark thing Sehun knew that Zitao was meant to be with him. 

Zitao was shy, he was very quiet - and when he moved to reach a book, Sehun couldn't help but peek when his sleeve rode up and she saw the Korean on his arm, blushing a bit at it. '황지타오' - he was sure that it was his handwriting, he loved it. He had gotten up on a break and moved to introduce himself. Zitao had just looked at him and then Sehun had suddenly got brave and showed him the name on his own wrist '吳世勋'. Zitao had smiled, moving up so Sehun could sit with him. They talked all of their break and Sehun just knew they were meant to be together. When he had got home he looked as his wrist and was sad to find out that Zitao's name had not joined his on his wrist. He didn't know how to tell his family, he was gay - and he'd found his soulmate. It was a lot, there were people who got platonic soulmates, but he knew that him and Zitao weren't that, he had sat there the whole time thinking about how good it would be to kiss Zitao. Sehun had gone in to see his brother and asked him how he got the second name on his arm. 

His brother showed him his second mark and explained his appeared when he had held his girlfriend's hand for the first time. Sehun wanted to kiss Zitao, but the other man was a little bit shy - and he wanted to give him time. They had waited to have their first kiss - and it was perfect, sure they were still young, but Sehun knew it was right, and it was perfect. He had taken Zitao home and his parents had accepted him with open arms. They could see the soul bond was strong between them and Sehun felt so happy when he had Tao's name on his wrists. 

When they were sixteen both of them had ended up joining the communist party, Manchuria had been colonised and they were fighting to be free of the Japanaese. Sehun loved Zitao - and he would follow him anywhere, he would do what he wanted and he knew Zitao felt the same way. It was a weird sort of affection that they had for each other. They loved each other so much - they were devoted to each other, something that only came from being soulmates. They fought side-by-side and planned together, they were an unstoppable team, a team who just wanted to be free, wanted to live as who they were. The Japanese had begun cracking down on mixed ethnic soulmate pairs and same-sex soulmates - as if they had chosen each other, but Sehun was sure that in Japan the Japanese were free to live how they wanted and it was just places like Manchuria, Korea and the other colonies that it was like this. The chance of arrest affected them both in different ways, it made Zitao more shy and reserved, always wearing long sleeves to avoid anyone knowing that his soulmate was Korean. On the other hand. it made Sehun louder, he wasn't ashamed of his soulmate - he actually thought together they brought the best out of each other's cultures. Sure they spoke Mandarin with each other, but Sehun loved lying next to Tao and speaking to him in Korean, teaching him a language that was outlawed in the country it was from. 

Zitao understood to a point what it was like for Sehun as a Korean - a person from a country who couldn't remember it, and only knew what he had been told by his parents and his brother. His parents told him about Pyongyang, about how it had been the ancient capital, where the King had lived, but then how the Japanese had come and taken everything from them, while the rest of the world just stood by and watched, some of them even condoned it. The Japanese had to 'justify' what happened to Korea - but never what they did to Manchuria, or China or other lands. Sehun felt a rage under him when he thought about how the Japanese had spoken about his home, that it was backwards and a danger to themselves and others, because that had not surged into an industrial revolution but rather had kept in their traditional roles - there was nothing wrong with tradition, but Sehun longed for the day where Korea could stand up and make Japan and the world regret everything that had been said about them. Sehun was strong in his opinions and that was something that never changed even as he matured. 

Zitao loved him, and Sehun always felt empowered and strong when they were together, which he knew was something special, because Zitao would bypass his own shyness to tell others to shut up and listen to Sehun when they over looked him because he wasn't a Manchu, and he wasn't Chinese like Zitao. His soulmate brought him into those spaces and made sure his voice was heard, he was Sehun's number one supporter. But things were changing and now they were eighteen, Zitao was going by Tao and the world was changing, the war in Europe had spread and there were talks of an uprising against the Japanese.

\- ♡ - 

Sehun and Tao were lying side by side in their bed, it was morning and Sehun was reluctant to get out of the bed. He pressed a kiss to his soulmates lips. They'd moved out of their family homes, and in together. It had been a long time since they'd discovered each other and they both worked, so it made sense for them to be together like this. Tao smiled at him, pulling him in again for a kiss. "Hun." He breathed out closing his eyes as he tried to think of the words to say.

"No. Tao, please, don't say it." Sehun breathed out, moving to kiss Tao again as if to stop him saying what they both knew was coming. Sehun moved to take the others arm and kiss over their soulmark before tracing over their names. "Huang. Zi. Tao," he said as he traced. "My whole heart," he said looking up at him. "Can you do mine?" 

Tao laughed a little, "You just like it because it's different." Tao said quietly, Sehun did, he'd asked Tao to read his name and told him to ignore the Korean pronunciation. Tao nodded, "Wu. Shi. Xun." He read, finger tracing over the man’s arm. This was something they did for each other, they'd done it since they were young. Tao just looked over at him and nodded, "Sehun, you know we can't stay in the bed all day. I have to-" 

"No. Tao. We're not doing this." Sehun said sitting up in the bed and moving to get changed. "You want me to be happy that you're leaving?" He said turning to face Tao who was just sat in the bed watching him. 

"Sehun, I'm going for us. I love you and I want us to be free. The communists and the Kuomingtang are going to be fighting together - I have to do what is best for my country, the country we live in." Tao got up and walked over kissing Sehun slowly, Sehun wrapped his arms around Tao, tightly, pulling him close against him. "I love you so much, I'm doing this for you." He breathed against Sehun's lips. Sehun still felt like crying, watching as Tao pulled back and began getting dressed up in his military uniform. 

"Please, TaoTao, don't go." Sehun said quietly, "please, stay here with me, I promise I'll do better, I promise I'll be good in meetings, I won't speak out of turn, I won't even-" 

"Don't, Hun." Tao said coming closer and giving him another romantic kiss. "Don't change, you're my soulmate and you keep my heart with you. I love you, I love you so much." 

"Come back to me." Sehun breathed out, "You have to promise me, you have to come back." Sehun gripped onto the others arms tightly. "I can't live my life without my soulmate." 

Tao gently shushed him, "I'll be back. I promise you that. You need to be here for your family, your niece and nephew need you, your sister in law needs you." 

"Would you go if I told you I might be with child." Sehun joked, but at the same time he did wish they were parents or potential parents. He did want the other to be with him, he never wanted to be apart. Tao smiled, pushing Sehun's hair back out of his face. 

"Well it's not going to be you who's with child is it?" Tao said and Sehun shrugged, 

"We've done it a few times like that. I could be." He pouted and Tao shook his head. Tao was fully dressed and he looked great, but Sehun didn't want him to leave.

\- ♡ -

Tao left to join the fight and Sehun felt awful being this far apart from his soulmate. He tried to keep himself occupied helping out with his niece and nephew, helping out his family. He also visited Tao's parents, he still their only child's soulmate, even with Tao away fighting for their freedom. He loved them and they loved him, they had always been glad to have Sehun around. They had loved everything about him, and about them as a couple. Sehun shared with them the letters he got from Tao, and tried to act like he didn't feel empty every day he woke up apart from the love of his life.

He was sat with his sister-in-law, he'd just helped put his niece and nephew down for a nap. "How are you holding up?" she asked Sehun as he had a drink. 

"I'm fine. Tao is doing okay, I just wish he was home." 

"Sehun, you know you don't have to be okay right?" 

Sehun shook his head, "No, if I let it get to me then I'm just going to cry all the time." He sighed, "I wish I was with him." 

"Your brother sent a message, he said that the united front and the allied forces from Europe were getting close to winning. If we win Tao can come home and we can celebrate together." 

Sehun was surprised when his husband came home a few months later, military uniform looking well worn. It had been three long years since Tao had gone to join the fight. Sehun swore his heart skipped when Tao saw him and smiled. "We won," he breathed out and Sehun couldn't help but run to him jumping into his arms, legs wrapping around the other’s hips, not caring that they were of similar heights and that it was normally the other way around - his soulmate had been away at war. A cause that Sehun was about but Tao had asked him to stay home, he had obliged - because he knew that his soulmate had felt compelled to join the long mach and united front against the Japanese to defend his homeland. Sehun kissed him hard, Tao's arms around him tightly. Sehun had barely gotten Tao into the bedroom, by the time he stripped him out of his soldier uniform. He loved it. Tao had gotten stronger while he was away, Sehun moved kissing him slowly, moving back onto the bed. Sehun took his time admiring all of Tao, all of the changes that the war had made on him, kissing over scars. 

They lay there together trying to catch their breath, Sehun watching Tao. "Zitao," he said softly, "never leave me again." 

"Sehun," Tao said with a softness that made Sehun ache. "You know I didn't choose this." Sehun watched Zitao as he rolled onto his back. "I was worried I would not make it back to you, we really thought we might lose the war, that the Japanese would-" 

"Stop, Tao" Sehun said, shuffling closer, kissing Tao's bare shoulder, arm wrapping around him tightly. "Stop, please, it's over now. It's over and we're safe and together and I am never letting you go again." 

"I'm not going anywhere." Tao confirmed and Sehun could not help but smile, he loved Tao so much, he loved the way the other knew how to comfort him, and he loved the way that they were both on the same page. He kissed Tao again, shifting over his soulmate and kissing him deeper. 

"We're not leaving this bed." Sehun said with a little laugh between kisses, and Tao did not seem to be bothered by the way that this was going. 

It was nice to have Tao back, they were back to normal, just living their lives and getting by, the Japanese were gone and the country was trying to work out what to do next, the communits and the Kuomintang had worked together to defeat their shared enemy but now they were back to their ideological conflict. Sehun and Tao were firmly on the communist side - Chiang Kai Shek was a weak leader - and what had happened during the Second Sino-Japanese War was proof that his strategy was weak at best, it was disorganised and he had caused many deaths. Although, the Japanese had been a wrecking ball, barrelling through their country. Sehun was not sure what would be best, he knew that the Kuomintang had power and would refuse to give it up without a war - which was really the root of his conflict about if he really wanted the communists in power. He could not bear another war. 

Sehun continued about his days, he loved waking up next to his soulmate. Tao loved to cook and he always made food before they went to work. Tao's body had changed while he was at war, he was stronger now and Sehun did kind of love how safe he felt when he could feel the now muscular man with him, but it had changed his mind too. Tao was sometimes lost in his own world, thinking of what he saw and did in the war but he never wanted to talk about it. Sehun understood why he did not wish to speak of it, but sometimes he wished he could understand what was going on.

\- ♡ -

Sehun was in the market, trying to find something to buy for dinner, he wanted to make something special for Tao. Tao had been working hard and he deserved a treat. It had been a couple of months since they'd been back together and he just wanted Tao to know how much he loved him, how much he would do anything for him, but there would never be a way to show Tao just how much he cared. He smiled at the woman behind the stall looking over the fruit, she leaned over and touched Sehun's arm. "Your soulmate was part of the united front?"

"Ah, yes," he said quietly, he was proud of his soulmate, proud that he fought to protect them all but still he did not really know what to say when people asked him about it. He just wanted to explain that now Tao was just a normal guy who worked in a small store selling books. 

"Will he fight for us again?" Sehun felt the world slow down, why would Tao have to fight again? He could not imagine that, he could not begin to think about being left behind again. 

"Sorry?" Sehun asked, not quite sure what the woman meant. He hoped that he had misunderstood what the woman was saying to him. He just wanted to live his life with Tao, live until they were old, although he sometimes struggled to think of what Tao would look like as an old man, all wrinkles but still lovely. 

"The communists are staging a war, I have heard that there are plans being formed as we speak." Sehun felt his blood run cold. He could not bear it if Tao left again to fight a war, a war that while it might be for the greater good would make him sick with worry every night. Sehun was unsure what to do. Should he tell Tao? He knew that Tao would probably want to know, but he made the choice to not tell him until he had a plan. He was going to work out what they would do and then he would tell Tao. 

He got home and began making a kimchi jigae. His mother had made them kimchi, made it a little sweeter for Tao who was not a huge fan of spice. Sehun felt more than blessed when Tao came home, leaving a book on the counter and coming to give Sehun a quick kiss. Sehun smiled meeting it, turning around to wrap his arms around Tao. "I missed you," he mumbled against Tao's lips. 

"I've only been gone since ten." Tao said, although his hands were around Sehun's hips, pulling him close, hand on the other's ass. "What are you cooking?" 

"Kimchi jigae." Sehun said with a smile. "Can you say it~?" he teased a little, giggling when Tao tried to say it. When Tao spoke Korean his Chinese accent was strong and the words were almost slurred. They kissed a little longer, Tao giving Sehun's ass a little squeeze. "Mhm Tao, we can do that after dinner, I'm making you my grandma's secret recipe all the way from Pyongyang." Sehun smiled when his soulmate nodded, stepping back and letting Sehun go back to cooking. "Okay, you go clean up and I will finish up cooking." 

Sehun did quite like the domestic life, he liked cooking while he heard his partner cleaning himself up and then coming back into the room in clothing that looked soft, something that Tao would sleep in tonight. They sat down together and ate, talking about their day. "Are you going to meet up with the Korean group you go to this week?" 

"Yeah... Do you not want me to go?" 

"No, I want you to. I know they supported you a lot when I was gone." Tao said with a softness that Sehun knew was genuine, he knew that Tao was telling the truth. "I was thinking of meeting up with one of my friends next week from the army, Yixing. He's really nice. He is from a different area but he is coming up here for some sort of communist meeting." 

"Are you going to invite him back to ours, I can cook if you would like." Sehun offered. Tao just nodded, he did not say he wanted it per say, which made Sehun wonder if there was something that Tao wanted to keep away from home. He knew that Tao probably wanted to keep the horrors of warfare away from the home. Sehun just wished that Tao could tell him what he had been through. 

When Sehun met up with his friends they told him about what was happening in Pyongyang, about how the communists had just walked into the capital and taken power. They were being supported by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and it was going to be a communist utopia. Sehun wondered if this could be a place where they could be happy, a place where they could live the rest of their lives. He just did not know if Tao would want to leave Manchuria, China, everything he had ever known. 

Sehun knew that going to Pyongyang would be hard at first, he was well aware that while Tao could speak some Korean, he was not able to speak fluently, although he knew that the other would learn. He wanted to be with Tao for the rest of his life - but he was no longer sure if there was going to be a place for them. Probably not in Manchuria anyway - and that led to uncertainty. If Tao did not want to leave, Sehun had no idea what to do - he did not want to stay through another war, he wanted to go to a communist utopia, he wanted them to live in harmony with other people for the rest of their lives. He just wanted to grow old with his soulmate, the man who he was destined to be with. 

Sehun just sat thinking about this for days, weeks, and Tao was out meeting with Yixing more often. It worried Sehun, not because he thought his soulmate would cheat on him, but they were both soldiers. Maybe Tao was talking to Yixing about the things that were in his head, the things that Tao could never say to Sehun. He wanted to know what was going on inside his soulmate’s head, but then he wondered if the horrors of war would traumatise him more than was reasonable. Sehun looked over at Tao as they were sat at the table, both eating quietly. "What are you thinking?" Sehun said, putting his book down, noticing that Tao was looking over at him. 

"Just about what Yixing has said to me." 

"Is something going on Tao?" he said softly, moving to take the other's hand, hand moving to trace over the other’s soul mark. "Huang. Zi. Tao." 

"Wu. Shi. Xun." he replied, and Sehun gave him a little smile. 

"You can tell me if something is happening, we're in this together. Even if you feel like I wouldn't understand, I promise I can try." Sehun was scared, frightened that there was something going on inside Tao that he was not able to handle, something he may never be able to understand. 

"War is coming." Tao said quietly almost as if he was afraid that saying the words were making itbecome their reality. "I don't want to live through another war." Sehun could not either, he could not go through being separated, and praying that Tao was going to come home every single day. He knew that it was now or never, maybe with this backdrop, Tao might want to escape to Korea - he might want to get away from the war. 

"I've been thinking, maybe we should go to Pyongyang. Korea is safe now and liberated, I want to be a part of the country rising back up from the ashes - and I want you there with me." Sehun said moving to feed him softly. Tao had been pushing the food around his plate all of this time. "I know it's a big choice, but I can't do another war." 

"I don't speak Korean that well," Tao said, although he looked more like he was tired, rather than openly trying to get out of this plan. Sehun wondered if Tao wanted to go, maybe he would want to go to get away from a war.

"Your Korean is fine. It's good, you're great." 

"What would we do for work?" Tao said quietly. 

"Does it matter? It's my home, and if soon we're going to have another war, I want to get you as far away from that as possible. I cannot bear you fighting again," Sehun said, cupping Tao's cheek and pressing a kiss to Tao's lips. "If I never have to see you in that uniform it's still going to be too soon." 

"So, Korea." Tao paused, "when should we go?" Sehun could not help the smile that broke on his face. "I don't want to go back to war, and if you think we can make a good life for ourselves, then yes, I will go with you." Sehun gave him a little look, he was clearly overjoyed that Tao had agreed. 

"Are you really sure?" Sehun said quietly. He really did want to go home, but he really had no idea what would be waiting for him when he got there, so just like that they packed up all of their things that they could carry and began making their way to the border. Sehun liked travelling with Tao but he could see just how nervous the Chinese man was. He knew that it was a lot for Tao, he was leaving his home for the first time, where Sehun could feel like he was going home.

\- ♡ - 

They arrived in Pyongyang and Tao looked at Sehun. "I mean, it looks communist," he said with a little shrug, as they walked towards the registry office. Sehun began filling out their forms as they were all in Korean. Tao wrapped his arm around Sehun's waist looking over the forms. He was trying to learn to read it, Sehun could tell, so he began reading it out, quietly and translating it for Tao. Tao could speak some Korean so it was not a serious issue, but he was by no means fluent and he struggled to read. "Why do they want to know your soulmate's country?"

"You're going to live here." 

"I know - but... they ask if we're communist." 

"Of course they do, Tao. We're in a communist utopia - they would want to know." Sehun understood that it was difficult for Tao and of course he was dubious about it all, he would get used to it and he would fit in. Sehun went up to the desk to get all their paperwork sorted out, conversing easily with the woman behind the counter, it felt a little weird to speak Korean to people in public, it had been so long since his mother tongue was free to weave the words inside Sehun's mind, it felt light in his mouth, easy even. He turned to take his soulmate's hand and they walked towards their assigned housing. Sehun could feel Tao was tense but he did not know what exactly to say to make him feel any better.

Tao hadn't said much when they reached their assigned housing in Pyongyang, Sehun had signed up to be a part of the Politburo, which had given them a pretty nice place in the city. There was furniture in the apartment and Sehun watched as Tao walked around there was a kitchen-dining room, a living room, a bathroom and a bedroom - Sehun had had to put on the form that they were both male soulmates, so they obviously only needed a one bedroom place as they were not going to be having any children any time soon. Sehun turned and smiled at Tao wrapping his arms around the other and pulling him close for a kiss. "I love you, Tao." 

"I love you, Sehun," Tao said quietly. 

"What's wrong then?" 

"I don't know what you want me to say," Tao said with a little shrug, moving to put their bags in the bedroom and began hanging up his clothes. Sehun followed him into the room and Tao just looked at him. "I want to be here, don't get me wrong, but it's just new. I don't know how to feel being here, how to be here. I am Chinese, I'm from Manchuria." 

"Tao, if you didn't want to be here..." 

"Oh don't do that Sehun," Tao said with a shake of his head. "I already told you I want to be here. I just don't know how to _be_ here, if that makes sense? What am I going to do? I mean really, what job do you think I can get speaking as little Korean as I do?" 

"Tao, you don't need to, not in our society, and I am going to be part of the politburo, I will find you something. Maybe someone will want a Chinese tutor. I know you like to work, but maybe for a while, just let me look after you." 

"Sehun." Tao sighed, looking down at their clothes on the bed. "I love you, I really do. I just will have to sort it out. I’ll make myself useful." 

"If you really hate it here, we can go back to Manchuria." 

"There is a war coming, Sehun," Tao sighed, sitting down on the bed, not caring about messing up the clothes for a second. "I cannot go to war again." Sehun sat next to him on the bed and wrapped his arms around the others shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to Tao's cheek. "I know deep down that this is the place we should be, but there are just a few adjustments to be made and I'm not really the best with change." 

"I promise when we get used to it, it will all have been worth it." 

"I know." Tao gave him a little grin and then they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sehun got up and walked to the door, opening it to see two men. He could see from their arms that they were a mated pair. 

"Welcome neighbours," the smaller man said. "I'm Kim Jongdae and this is my soulmate Park Chanyeol." He handed over a small plate of rice cakes and Sehun bowed his head. He noticed Jongdae staring at his arm. "Your soulmate is foreign?" 

"Ah- yes Comrade, my soulmate is Chinese. We grew up in Manchuria and he fought for the Chinese Communist forces in the united front against the Japanese," Sehun said. He was a little proud of his soulmate, well a lot proud. He had fought the Japanese and he had fought for communism. Tao had come out of the bedroom and Sehun gave him a smile, switching into Chinese, "Hey babe, look what they brought us. Rice cakes are a traditional gift for new neighbours." 

Tao bowed his head in thanks and managed to thank them in Korean, before taking the plate into the kitchen. "He's not very talkative, is he, Comrade?" the taller man - Chanyeol - questioned Sehun. 

"He's just not very confident when it comes to speaking Korean. He can understand quite well but he is really quite shy." 

"Ah," Jongdae said with a small smile. "Good traits for a good citizen... or a spy." Sehun was taken aback by the other's suggestion. 

"My soulmate is a true communist. He has fought for us against the Japanese." 

"Yeol and I were in the guerilla forces, actually my battalion was the same one our Great Leader was in." Sehun nodded, he was impressed. This couple actually had seen their Great Leader in action, he really had been there - but then part of him felt unsure at the idea of this man judging him for his soulmate not also being ethnically Korean. He had not been aware that that would be an issue. He was not ashamed of Tao, and he could not believe that someone would look down on that, but he guessed this was how it was going to be. He imagined that he was going to fall into the category of 'Chinese-Korean,’ as he knew that politics could get rather divided. After they left Sehun went into the kitchen and saw Tao just trying to sort out the food that had been brought to them to help them settle in. 

"So those two were guerilla fighters from the fight against the Japanese." Sehun said with a little smile. 

"We saw some guerilla forces in our time at the front." Tao said, looking at him and sighing at the amount of spicy foods that were in their groceries. "I was not sure what to think of them at the time. We loved the help, it was greatly appreciated but they were not as...organised as was ideal." 

"They...don't seem too appreciative of...us." 

"Because I'm Chinese, I heard how they said it. I don’t need to understand all the words to hear how much they disliked me." Tao looked at Sehun and just sighed, "People are like that sometimes, you know even in Manchuria things were a little bit difficult for some people, remember that boy who had the Japanese name on his wrist." 

"Yes but Japan is different." Sehun said looking at Tao, "you're a communist like us, and you fought against the Japanese like us, there is not much difference in our people." 

"Yixing had a hard time because his soulmate’s name is written in Latin text, no matter where you go people think they can judge you for things like this, things that we can't change, even if we tried, even if you wanted to change this you can't. I can't change that we're soulmates and that I love you more than anything. If they are too close minded to see that we are just like them, then that is a them problem." 

"How are you so wise?" 

"It is all of my ancestors’ wisdom being passed down." Tao said with a playful grin. Sehun was glad to see that Tao was smiling again and was looking happy. Sehun really did want him to feel safe and at home here, but he knew that it would take time, and it was not something that he could make happen all by himself. "Are you starting your job tomorrow?" 

"Yes, I have a few meetings to attend and just trying to sort out my role in the party and that kind of thing, they are going to be debating tomorrow too."

\- ♡ - 

Sehun was a little nervous when he walked into the National Assembly. He had no idea what was going to happen today. He was quiet, and had met with some of the others who had been identified as 'Chinese' Koreans, they were nicknamed the Yanan group. Sehun did enjoy the group, talking about where they had grown up, and they began to establish their rules, their roles and they were trying to work out how this would all work. Sehun ended up quickly being put in a slightly higher position, Sehun had the advantage of speaking, reading and writing Korean fluently, as well as Chinese - which was not all that common within the faction, the same as the Soviet faction struggled to find people who spoke Korean and Russian fluently. That fluency was important for representatives who ended up on boards, as they would have to report back to their group and then to the wider community.

Sehun knew that a member of the Soviet faction was writing all of the speeches for Kim Il Sung, so he did wonder where the man’s favour lay. He just wanted to make a better life for his family and the entire country. Being chosen as on of the main speakers for the Chinese faction, he heard some of them called them 'Yanan' which felt a bit weird when Yan'an was in Shaan'xi which was in central China, rather than Manchuria where a lot of them were from. It was however where the Chinese Communist Party had started. Sehun guessed that that made sense, but as most of them were not from there so it still felt like a strange thing to associate them with. 

Some of the members of his group had still been in Pyongyang during the occupation by the Japanese. Sehun did occasionally wonder if they were standing with them to try to expand the influence of the domestic faction, which he did know were the weakest group but they were not the smallest, as that role belonged to the guerrilla faction. Sehun was sure that the Soviets were in the best position, as until they had a leader it was the Nascent Shtykov who was in control of everything and while Sehun did not understand the military ranks of the Red Army fully, he could see that the man was of a very high rank, and clearly was favoured by Stalin. Sehun was sure he was a fine man, a good communist even - but he did not like the idea of trusting someone who was not Korean with their futures. 

It was clear that Kim Il-Sung from the guerrilla faction and Pak Hon-yong from the domestic faction were the top choices to be the permanent leader and Sehun was not sure who to vote for. Pak Hon-yong had established a Communist party during the occupation, in what was now in the South but had come to the North because of the desire to make a Communist utopia, which was something Sehun, as a migrant from Manchuria could understand. He knew what it was like to desire a better life for yourself and your partner, but also he knew that Pak Hon-yong was a true Korean, he had been involved in the independence movement, which led to a clear reason to favour Kim Il-Sung. While Pak Hon-yong had been involved in an independence movement, it was Kim Il-Sung who was prolific and well thought of amongst those who had fought to be free of the Japanese. He had been active in Manchuria, where he had been raised. Like Sehun, he was born in Pyongyang and raised in Manchuria, but then he had gone on to be involved in the communist activities and had even been hunted by the Japanese as they tried to stop him. 

Sehun did not think any more on who he wanted to be in power, because really he was not qualified to make that choice. They were both far better options than him. He noticed a Soviet faction comrade who was close to Kim Il-Sung, Comrade Kim Jongin, he always sat observing, not often inputting his ideas and Sehun wondered if perhaps he did not speak Korean very well. Although he was pretty sure that he did. The talks were interesting - but sometimes Sehun wondered if they should be focusing on trying to establish a leader. 

As he got used to his role, he spoke more frequently - unlike some of the others who had lived in other countries his Korean was not touched by an accent. Sehun spoke with a confidence that he was surprised by; he had never felt confident like this before in his life. He looked over when Comrade Kim Jongdae stood up, he could see the way that he looked over at the Yanan and Soviet men and raised a brow. 

"I am not entirely sure those who have foreign soulmates should be allowed positions of power - they cannot be trusted." Sehun tried not to roll his eyes. He had known Jongdae - as a guerrilla faction member - had taken an instant dislike to his partner, but this really was something else. 

"I concur." Comrade Do Kyungsoo said, he was a domestic Korean and Sehun had never really enjoyed his input to their conversations. He had even less time for the men and women who were currently outing themselves as xenophobes. He hated this, some of his own faction were murmuring. There was no reason to get involved in this, there was no reason for anyone to be seen as less Korean than others, based on who they were fated to be with. 

It was not until a man who Sehun did recognise as Comrade Ho Ka-i, he was a Soviet Korean, who Sehun knew had a Russian name, Alexei or something like that. "I think it is a rather small minded thing to suggest. We are all Korean here." He stood there and looked at the others with a fierceness. "We are just as dedicated to our country, no matter where we came from." Sehun could see his arm and could see the hangul, he had a Korean soulmate but he was still choosing to use his voice to stand up for those within his faction - and others - who were not the same. "Plus the connections made via our soulmates could prove invaluable. The Soviet Union is helping to fund our country and supporting us as we write our own constitution as well as giving us all the resources that we need to enable our country to be strong. The Chinese are our immediate support should something happen - so why should we shun anyone who is not fated with another Korean? I'm sure our comrades from China can agree that the Chinese soulmates do bring support to our great nation with their links back home." 

Comrade Mu Chong stood up. He was the de facto leader of the Chinese faction - although Kim Tu-Bong was also in a strong position. "We agree, it is a ridiculous notion to try to separate us anymore than our country has already been separated. We are all Korean here - and we would do well to remember it."

Sehun didn't really say much, he didn't know how to explain that his lover was Chinese and it made no difference to where his loyalties lay, he wondered if Tao had felt the same. It wasn't until Jongin - who had been singled out early on as someone Kim Il-Sung liked - who had sat mostly quiet as the discussion went on moved, that Sehun noticed Ким Чонин and Бён Бэкхён was written on his arm. He was with a Russian. After the meeting Sehun went over to Jongin. "Hey, Comrade Kim Jongin." He said, "I was just wondering about your soulmate, a Russian right?" 

"He's technically Korean." Jongin said defensively. "I am no traitor to our country." 

"My soulmate is Chinese." Sehun said, moving to show his own arm, as if that would make him feel any better. "I'm not a traitor either. It's so stupid that they even suggested that that was something that was a real risk to us. We all came back home and brought our soulmates because we believe in our nation and they believe in us too." 

"Well between us Baekhyun would rather we had stayed in Vladivostok, he grew up there and he might be Korean, but he feels Russian and I can't make him see how proud he should be to be Korean." 

"My TaoTao is Chinese, and we were in the communist groups back in Manchuria. He isn't keen on being here - he feels like he doesn't fit in but he supports us, and supports communism. He is excited about what living here will provide for us - as you know there is revolution brewing in China, and we chose to leave and come to a utopia." Sehun said as they were walking towards the main blocks of housing in Pyongyang. "We actually live next to Jongdae, Comrade Kim Jongdae and his soulmate, although I'm not sure they're excited to be living next door to us - especially after how vocal Jongdae was today about people who aren't in Korean/Korean pairs. Tao is so passionate about our cause and he is literally the best man in the world. He would support me no matter what - but they diminished the way we feel and the love that we have." 

"Comrade Kim Jongdae, is a native Korean, and he may even have left during the Japanese occupation - but late, he speaks Japanese, I don't think we should trust him." Jongin spoke plainly, "and I did not appreciate the notion that there was something wrong with those of us who have soulmates who marked our skin in a different language. You and Tao and Baekhyun and I, all chose to be here. We decided that this was where we wanted to build our futures. He and his soulmate made no choice to be here, they just didn't leave to fight for a cause. They weren’t being persecuted. We have fought for this country just as much as he has.” He paused. “Oh, I live near another couple like yours. Minseok and Luhan." 

Sehun nodded, "Are they from Manchuria?" 

"No, they were nearer to Beijing, but still a Chinese-Korean soulmate couple. It might be nice if you guys met, Luhan and Tao could speak to each other easily. I know it must be hard for him. Baekhyun found it hard until he met some of the other Russian's who are here. He's starting to settle in a lot better now that he's got people he can talk to - other than me." 

"Do you two speak Russian or Korean?" Sehun asked, he was curious to know, "I am trying to talk more Korean with Tao but he really would rather talk to people in Chinese mostly." 

"Baekhyun is the same, I've been trying to get him to loosen up - so he can just join in with other Koreans." Jongin sighed, stopping at his building. "But Baek, he just misses his home a lot, so I can't help but give into him and speak in Russian." Jongin laughed a little, "he does this face and I just give in." 

"Oh I have the exact same thing with Tao. He just looks at me and I give in, I love him too much." Sehun smiled, and him and Jongin parted ways. 

When he entered the apartment he saw Tao cooking in their kitchen, he moved slowly to wrap his arms around the cooking man. "Hi gorgeous, I missed you so much." Sehun said quietly, kissing the back of the man’s neck. "I love you." 

"I love you too. Did something happen?" 

"Just some people in the politburo are judgemental idiots. Judging people like us, because you're not Korean." Sehun cuddled in tighter to his soulmate as he cooked. "I hate it, you're the only person in this world for me. I love you so much, and I love everything that you do. It makes me so angry, not for me, but for you. How dare someone question you and us and anything about who we are." Sehun held Tao a little tighter. "We're together, and we have been for a long time - we have been together through so much. I love you, and we're both here to support this country. We both want the best for it." 

Tao turned around and gave Sehun a gentle kiss. "Ignore it, people used to say it to me about us, who cares that you're from a different place? You're still mine and you were still the fiercest man in the resistance. When it was bad and people spoke like that, I used to wish I could have your baby, because if we made another life maybe people would see how serious it is. We're not just soulmates because our wrists tell us, we really are soulmates. You really mean everything to me." 

"If we had a baby, I would probably get even more aggressive in my defense of you all." Sehun said, pulling back to give Tao a more romantic kiss. "We might have to teach you more Korean food." 

"But you've always liked my food." Tao said quietly, and Sehun felt bad, he knew that he said he was proud of Tao - and he was. But it wouldn't hurt if the other just did a few things to show people that he was making an attempt to be more Korean and fit more into the life here. Tao didn't say anything and went back to cooking his food, while Sehun did feel bad asking the other to do that - but he had to. He wanted the others to see how much Tao wanted to be here and how much he wanted to love him without people casting judgement, and he thought the best way to deal with that was Tao becoming increasingly more Korean as time went on. 

Tao served up the food and they ate in relative silence. Tao was angry and Sehun knew that, but he also wasn't quite sure why he was angry. "Are you mad at me?" Sehun said and Tao looked at him but didn't say anything. "So yes, but you're not a big boy so you can't just tell me." 

"Does that make you feel better, to resort to name calling?" Tao said flatly. "Yes I'm mad at you Sehun, but I don't want to talk about it." He said looking at his soulmate. "And if you can't think about why I'd be mad with you then this is a waste of time." 

"I don't understand what you're saying." 

"You want me to become more Korean. Well, I'm sorry Sehun, but I'm Chinese and you might be ashamed of who I am, but I'm not." Tao said, dropping his chopsticks down on the table, and getting up to go into their room and slamming the door. Sehun sighed, getting up and going to the bedroom door, knocking on it gently. "Go away, Sehun." 

"Tao, please, baby, I didn't mean it-" 

"You did, Sehun." Tao sighed, "that's the worst part about it all - you really are ashamed of me." 

"I'm not ashamed Tao, I love you so much." He said against the door. "I love you Tao, I know you're getting used to life here and I just, I thought it might help you fit in." 

Tao opened the door and stared at him. "You think it will make me fit in if I learned to cook Korean food for me and you. Yeah I can see exactly how that works Sehun." Tao shook his head, "I never asked you to become more Chinese, or Manchu when we were living in Manchuria. You are asking me to reject who I am, so I can fit in with your friends who think that there is something wrong with us being together because I'm Chinese. No matter what I do, no matter how hard you try to make me 'Korean', your wrist will always say, Wu Shi Xun and not Oh Sehun. You can't make me that person." 

"Tao, I don't want you to become Korean, I love you for you." Sehun sighed a little, "It would just - I would just..." 

"You just wish I was Korean - that would make your life easier." Tao said flatly. 

"No. I want you to be you." Sehun said, moving to take the other’s hand and giving it a squeeze. "I just - people here are questioning those of us who have soulmates from other countries. And I don't want you to have to prove anything to them. You don't need to prove anything, you shouldn't have to prove anything. I love you more than life itself - and I don't want anyone to look down on you, to see you as less than perfect." 

"Sehun." Tao said quietly, "these people will never see me as anything but the country I'm from. They'll just see where I'm from, not who I am." 

"I can't stand it." Sehun said, squeezing Tao's hand again. "You're my love, my soulmate, they should never look at you and see anything less." Sehun traced over the others wrist, "Huang. Zi. Tao." 

"Wu. Shi. Xun." Tao did the same thing back. "No matter what I do, this is always going to be a problem. It is something that we have to live with." 

"I don't want to." Sehun said quietly. 

"We will have to go back to China if you want these people to stop looking down on me. But I don't know." Tao sighed a little, "Even in Manchuria we had problems with the Chinese trying to be superior and I fear the revolution will make it worse. They talked about it a bit when we were fighting the Japanese, Mao Zedong... he became the leader of the communist party - and I cannot tell you why or how. He was not the hardest worker, nor the best fighter and we weren't even sure he really believed in communism - but he is the leader, and I am not sure how their attitudes will change when we win." 

"I want to stay in Korea." Sehun said, pressing a small kiss against Tao's cheek. "I want to stay here, I want to help my country rebuild itself and show the world it's strength." 

"I know." Tao said slowly, "I just want you to know - that I'm okay - with people looking down on us. I don't need other people to accept me for how I am. I have you, and I believe in you Sehun, I know you will make the best choices for us. If here is not the best option, we will move. I will go anywhere for you." 

"If you wanted to leave, we could leave." Sehun said softly. Tao shook his head. 

"I know being here for this means a lot to you - and I want you to be able to fight for your country and help to shape it. Maybe eventually - with the others who I am sure have soulmates like me - you will change the way people look at us. They will know that we are just as good as a Korean-Korean couple, we just speak Chinese as well as Korean." Tao bit his lip. "I think - I am going to try harder to speak Korean more." Tao said, looking at Sehun and then giving his hand a squeeze. "I realise that since we got here, I have avoided Korean when possible, and I know that isn't how I'm going to improve. But it's just really hard for me. I find the sounds difficult - and even if I speak Korean, people are going to know I'm Chinese, they are going to know and...I saw the way the housing official looked when he saw your wrist and saw my handwriting." 

"I will make them all regret ever looking down on us." Sehun said moving to kiss Tao hard, he just had to show him that he loved him, that other people did not matter, it was down to them to love and to not dwell on those who could not see how beautiful they were together, how much of a perfect match they were. Sehun kissed Tao as he backed him up to their bed, pushing his lover down onto his back, moving over him, knees either side of the Chinese man's hips as he kissed him harder. Tao's arms wrapped around his upper body, holding him close as they kissed each other, both as passionate as each other, both of them determined to love each other more fiercely than the world could hate them together. They had always been perfect for each other - and nothing anyone said or thought would change that. Sehun was never going to back down - and if he had to he would fight Jongdae until there was nothing left in defence of the love of his life. 

Sehun pulled back, moving to take off his shirt, Tao's hands moving to trace down over his body, taking it all in. Sometimes Sehun wondered if there would ever be a time where Tao did not look at him like he was glorious, he could not imagine stopping being in awe of the person he was in love with. He moved to strip Tao down, kissing over his neck, and down onto his collarbones, biting down on them hard. Tao cried out louder, hips shifting up slightly against the Korean. Normally Sehun would quiet his soulmate - they were in an apartment now rather than a house, but he didn't care if Jongdae heard him making love to his Chinese soulmate. He knew it was petty but he did not care. Jongdae had questioned him, had questioned them. 

Sehun kept leaving little bites over the others collarbones, not caring that he was marking the other up - Tao loved it, but not one would see it - as of right now Tao couldn't find employment due to being foreign and not speaking Korean very well. But still, for them, it was good. They loved everything about each other, and about the marks that they left on each other. Sehun moved to kiss down Tao's stomach, Tao's hand reached into his hair and gave it a little tug. "Hunnie." He breathed out, Sehun's hand moved to cup the other, looking up at him from where he was. "Hun." Tao panted a little. He was clearly into this, enjoying his time with the man on top of him. Sehun looked up at him, moving back up to kiss his lover. "Clothes off." Tao breathed against Sehun. 

Sehun pulled back, pulling his clothing off, and Tao did the same, they resumed their kisses, Tao still under Sehun, legs wrapping around Sehun's hips, pressing himself against him harder. Sehun cupped the others cheek, pulling back and looking at him as he rolled their hips against each other. Sehun took a small breath as Tao moaned out against him, he moved to go and get the lube they had, coming back to the bed and beginning to open Tao up, fingering him slowly, just the way that Tao liked, making him cry out. Having him beg for more, which was something that Sehun loved, he loved when Tao asked him for more, when his partner needed more from him. He loved him and he loved this. 

Tao moved slightly, stroking himself gently as Sehun worked him open, it wasn't easy, Tao was demanding and he moved around a lot, but Sehun managed to find the spot with the other that made him cry out, begging for more. He lent down kissing at Tao's neck biting down,leaving another mark. He wanted to look after him, he wanted to have the other screaming for him. He moved, slowly pulling out his fingers and replacing it with his dick. He moved slowly into him, allowing Tao to adjust to him. Tao's hands in his hair, running through it gently. 

"I love you." Sehun breathed out, as they moved together, he'd chosen to go slow today, he wanted Tao to know just how loved and cherished he was. 

"I love you." Tao replied saying it in Korean this time and Sehun felt his heart swell a little, he couldn't believe his luck, he had the world's best soulmate, he dropped his head down as he kept moving into the other. He took a small breath, keeping going, crying out as he did so. They loved each other, and they were sharing that love with each other. 

They finished and Sehun cleaned them both up and Tao lay back on the bed closing his eyes, while Sehun finished cleaning up. Sehun came back into the bed and got into it. Tao shifted easily to rest his head on Sehun's chest, eyes closed still. Sehun just held the other close, hand rubbing down the others back. Tao was quiet, which Sehun was used to, he was like this a lot when they had been together, but Sehun was curious to know what the other was thinking. 

It was not long after that he realised that Tao had fallen asleep. He wondered if the other was okay, he wanted them to be happy together. He really hoped that Tao knew how much he was loved and cared for. It was not as if it was his choice - he wanted them to be together. He hated the way that people judged them for not being from the same country, ignoring all of the amazing things that they had in common and all of the ways that they supported each other.

\- ♡ - 

At the weekend Sehun was trying to get them ready and out, Tao was looking at Sehun and shook his head, "I don't want to go."

"Comrade Kim Jongin is really nice, I promise. He is paired with a Russian born Korean, who feels Russian - to the point where Jongin's soulmark is in Russian, like mine is in Chinese." 

"Okay." Tao said, fixing his collar. "But I still don't want to go." 

"I know, I know you don't want to go, but it is good to make strong alliances in the party - and I have heard that Jongin is in favour with a lot of the high up officials, including the Soviet Union officials who are here to oversee our election and the fight for leadership." 

"So you want me to make a good impression." Tao said quietly, "You want me to be the perfect Korean soulmate." 

"Zitao! we talked about this!" Sehun said, staring at his partner. "I have told you already, I don't want you to change - we sorted this out." 

Tao stared Sehun down, clenching his teeth a little. "No, of course not, you just want me to be more Korean." Sehun rolled his eyes. 

"Are we going to have this conversation every time I ask you to do something, or come with me somewhere?" Sehun stared at him. 

"You want me to be the perfect Korean husband, so yes I have a problem." 

"No, I want you to meet another couple like us, who are dealing with the same stuff we do, with people judging us for who we are and things we can't change. I don't know why you're getting upset about it." Sehun sighed, "I want you to have friends here, so you can go out when I'm not here and have fun. I want you to have people to feel comfortable with. People other than me." 

"Sehun." Tao said softer this time, rage already dissipating. "I don't see how me and a Russian are going to be best friends, I don't speak Korean well enough." 

"Your Korean is fine Tao, and I wasn't going to tell you this, because I am not sure if they are going to be there too, but Jongin's neighbours are like us, a Korean-Chinese soul pair. Jongin said he would see if they would like to come over too and maybe you could find a piece of home." Sehun understood why the other was a little defensive on this topic, but he wished it didn't have to be this way. "I just want you to be happy here." 

"Sehun, I am trying." Tao said looking at him. "But I miss home." he bit his lip, looking down. "I miss being able to do things, I miss feeling like I belonged - and recently, I know it isn't your fault." Tao sighed and Sehun walked over, wrapping his arms tightly around his soulmate. "and I know our neighbours were the ones who had a problem with me." 

"Tao, they just don't know you." 

"They don't want to, though, do they?" Tao said quietly. "I don't want to live a life hiding because people can't understand how a Korean and a Chinese man could be soulmates. I know what they think of me, of us, of us being together - I don't have to speak Korean fluently to understand what they think." 

"Ignore them." Sehun said softly, holding him closer, kissing Tao's cheek. "We don't need their approval." 

"You don't know what it's like Sehun." Tao said quietly. "You don't understand how it feels to know that everyone looks down on you, and thinks that you've tainted the one person you love most in this world. I am like a poison to these people." 

"Tao. It's not like that." 

"It is Sehun." Tao said softly, "and sometimes I know you wish I was something else, that you wished our names were in hangul on your arm." 

"Tao." 

"No, I get it, it would make it easier for you. If I was Korean - but I love you and I know you love me." Tao sighed, "I just can't call this place home - not knowing most of the people dislike who I am." 

"Tao." Sehun said softly. "Anyone who dislikes you before getting to know you is missing out on the best person in the entire world."

\- ♡ - 

Tao didn't really say much as they walked over to Jongin's place. Jongin had a bigger apartment - Sehun wasn't surprised he was sure that Jongin was already being cherry-picked for a high up position. He smiled looking around, Tao holding his hand tightly. Sehun was surprised when he met Baekhyun, who spoke Korean fluently, albeit with a slight accent. He had assumed that Baekhyun did not speak Korean, due to the way that Jongin's soul mark was in cyrillic.

Baekhyun was making Russian style tea for them, looking over at them. "Does your soulmate speak Korean?" Baekhyun asked, his accent so heavy on the words that Sehun got the impression that they did not come naturally. 

"A little," Tao spoke for himself and Sehun laughed a little, hand resting on the others thigh as they sat down together. He loved his soulmate - and he would always love him. He liked that Tao was feeling brave enough to speak Korean, part of him loved to hear the other speak it. He loved to listen to him speaking Korean. 

Baekhyun nodded, "If you speak a bit more, I can find you somewhere to work." He said watching Tao as carefully as Sehun was. "We, as foreigners, have to try to prove our worth. Our loves rely on it." Baekhyun looked at Jongin who was shaking his head. "What, _Luchik_? You don't think so?" Sehun smiled a little at the mixing of the Russian within the Korean that they were speaking - he was pretty sure that they spoke Russian inside their apartment rather than Korean. 

"Please _Kisa_ , no one is saying there is anything wrong with you or Tao." Jongin looked at Sehun, "Baek is obsessed with the idea that everyone disapproves of us. But I have told him, he has nothing to worry about. I am in love with him, and he is my soulmate, if he wanted to be a house husband I would support him." Jongin pressed a soft kiss to Baekhyun's cheek. "Baekhyun hated it when I was in the Red Army, he worried like crazy." 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, "Because I know how dumb you are. I love you, but I don't have to trust you with a gun." 

"I was the same." Sehun looked at Tao, "He joined the united front against the Japanese and I swear I almost went grey with worry. He is my life, and I couldn't imagine how I would cope without him. Just living without him while he was fighting was hard enough." Sehun said before mumbling a quick version to the other in Chinese, to fill in the gaps that he didn't understand. Sehun wasn't nervous, he felt relaxed here with Jongin and Baekhyun laughing with each other. But he was still conscious of the fact that Tao couldn't join in as freely as he would like, Sehun wondered if one day they could all talk like this easily with each other. 

"Where are you two from?" Baekhyun asked, "I mean you're Korean, but where in China did you grew up." 

"Manchuria." Tao said, "it's north of the wall - it was independent, sort of before. We're from Weizhou in Dongjing." 

Baekhyun nodded as if he knew, "Are the people there mixed?" He asked. "I was wondering if the Manchus, Chinese, Koreans all live together and mix well?" 

"Yes, we have some Russians too." Tao spoke slowly, Sehun felt so proud listening to his soulmate trying his hardest to speak Korean. "We are all mixed, and it is common to have mixed soulmates, so I - um." He stopped and looked at Sehun saying it in Chinese before looking back at them waiting for him to translate. 

"He is surprised that here people are that open about disliking matches between people who are not the same." Sehun said with a little sigh. 

Baekhyun laughed a little, "We're all the same, Tao, we're humans - but from what Jongin told me some of the people here have forgotten that."

"Yeah, well we live next to the person who put it forward." Sehun said taking a slow breath, he knew that it was upsetting for Tao to be next to someone who very clearly did not care for their kind of relationship. 

Baekhyun looked at Jongin, "You should speak to one of the officials, _Luchik_ , no one should have to live near someone who feels the way that those people do about people like us." 

Jongin nodded, "I know babe, I'll look into it." Jongin said to Baekhyun and Sehun was a little bit shocked by it, he was not sure why, but he had always imagined that Jongin would be the more commanding one - seeing as they had moved here despite Baekhyun wanting to be back in the Soviet Union. But it seemed very clear from this interaction that Baekhyun was the one who could get Jongin to do as he pleased. Sehun pressed a soft kiss to the back of Tao's hand and Jongin looked over at them, "How old were you?" 

"When we met? We were thirteen, he moved into my class and I knew." He said looking at Tao warmly. "He was just sitting there, so shy! But he moved and I could see my handwriting on his arm and I was so excited, I just went right up to him and showed him my arm." He laughed a little, giving Tao's hand a squeeze. 

"He was... ah... confident, he had a lot of it." Tao tried to add in Korean, but he really wasn't fluent. "I had thought our pair mark would come right away." 

"Did you have to kiss?" Baekhyun asked leaning forward, "We had to kiss and Jongin was such an idiot about it." Baekhyun pouted a little. "He literally asked me four times if I was sure - and trust me, I know my handwriting and also look at him, who wouldn't want to kiss this man?" 

Sehun nodded, "Yeah we had to kiss, but my brother got his from holding hands with his soulmate." He lent a little against Tao and smiled over at the other couple, it was nice to feel safe like this, to not feel judging eyes. "Trust me, it took all of me not to walk right up to him and kiss him - I knew before I saw his arm, I just knew he was meant to be mine." 

Baekhyun smiled, "Same, I saw this handsome soldier walking through our town square and I was so certain that he was meant to be man I loved for the rest of my life - and then we kissed and then I saw under his uniform and I am pretty sure I saved the country in my past life to get this man." Baekhyun said, Jongin flushed a little as Baekhyun kissed his cheek. "Don't be shy _Luchik_ , I'm sure Sehun feels the same way about Zitao." Baekhyun gave a cheeky smile. "Jongin had escaped from the Japanese and was placed into the red army and he found me, just this Russian born Korean who worked in a cafe, selling chai and fighting off annoying advances from sailors - you see my hometown is a port city, it's where the Asian fleet is kept so there is no shortage of sailors trying to hit on cute cafe waiters." 

Jongin laughed a little, "Don't listen to him, he loved the attention. I went into the cafe one day and Baekhyun was just entertaining all his adoring followers and then he showed them his arm, and it wasn't in cyrillic so clearly it was none of them and then his eyes met mine and I'm pretty sure he stole my heart that second." Jongin looked at Baekhyun and then back at Sehun and Tao "but I'm envious of you both, you got to meet as teenagers and grow up together, I wish I'd had Baekhyun all that time." 

"It wasn't enough." Sehun said, giving Tao's hand a squeeze. "Forever would never be enough with Tao." Sehun looked at his soulmate eyeing over his face. "I love you." He said softly in Chinese. 

"We have forever." Tao said softly in Korean, "I am here." 

Baekhyun had gotten up, and was in the kitchen, Jongin gave them a small smile. Baekhyun came back and set some biscuits down. "You fought in the war didn't you?" Baekhyun asked Tao, "I can recognise that look," he said to Sehun, "you spent nights scared you'd wake up and find your soul mark faded, or that you'd feel him being ripped from you." He looked at Jongin. “This idiot - " 

" _Kisa_ ," Jongin said quietly, "they don't - " 

"No, _Luchik_ , they will understand." Baekhyun said settling down against Jongin who just wrapped a protective arm around him. "He nearly died." Baekhyun said, "he was fighting some Japanese soldiers who were close to the border, maybe even with your troops, and he took a hit and he nearly died - and I was just sat at home feeling him slip away from me, he was so close to death that my mark was fading." Baekhyun shifted slightly to show the soul mark he bore, the last character of both names looked like a burn or a scar rather than the colour they should have been. "He did this to me." Baekhyun looked at Sehun "so I understand why you hold his hand so tightly, and why you two came here to avoid another war. Other people might not, but I do, and I will always help you both - and that means Jongin will too." Baekhyun pulled his sleeve back down to cover his arm. 

"Don't tell people about the mark." Jongin said quietly. He looked ashamed of it, and Sehun could understand it came from a place of regret that his soulmate wore a permanent reminder of an awful time for them.

"Of course." Sehun said. "We would never - it is your story to tell to who you want to tell it to." 

Jongin smiled a little, "I am not ashamed of what happened - I was fighting the Japanese for our people but I am filled with regret that I had him convinced he was going to lose me, and that he is marked forever like that." Jongin took a small breath, "and well, you know what Jongdae would say, he already doesn't like us being with people who aren't from here and then if he found out Baek's mark was faded, he'd - " 

"You don't have to tell me. I know exactly what they'd do. Tao is shy - you have heard he speaks Korean fine - but they would penalise him for the way his accent slurs his words, the way he's shy and you know, he hesitates when he speaks. They would punish him and it would break my heart." 

"Tao's Korean is fine, he will get more confident." Baekhyun said with a smile at the other. "And honestly, it's not easy for me either, we speak Russian with each other so it's weird to do this." Baekhyun got up again. "Oh, our neighbours will be over around dinner time. They are excited to meet another Chinese-Korean couple, and if you are more comfortable you can speak in Mandarin with them, don't worry I won't take offense." Baekhyun gave them a grin. "I hope this will be a regular occurence, I really think it will be nice." 

It was not that long after that the other couple arrived. Kim Minseok was an engineer who had been living in China during the occupation, after his parents had run away from the Japanese occupation, and his partner Luhan who had been a soldier just like Tao. They seemed happy and Sehun loved watching Tao become more animated, able to communicate easier in Mandarin. Sehun wondered if Tao was just not confident in Korean because he was pretty sure that the man did understand almost all of what was going on. 

Baekhyun was finishing up whatever it was that he was cooking, while Luhan and Tao talked rapidly in Mandarin, laughing - they were fast friends. Minseok was a bit on the shy side, although Sehun wondered if it had something to do with the roles that they were all assigned, him and Jongin were politicians and Minseok was an engineer, far more qualified, really - but with a lot less power. 

Baekhyun came to the table and put the food out. "So I cooked pelmeni and made some rice to go with it. I promise mine are great. You eat them with the sour cream." He smiled, pressing a quick kissing to Jongin's cheek. "Trust me. I turned this strictly Korean food loving man into a man who can't get enough of pelmeni." He laughed as they all started eating. 

Conversation flowed easily and Sehun could really see his life here, he could really see them living here for the rest of their lives, coming over to see Baekhyun and eating Russian food as they talked and laughed. He imagined him and Tao hosting them and Tao cooking something from his repertoire for them. He imagined that they would really make a good life here, maybe they would even get to grow old and Sehun's brother and his family could come. He wanted to share this with everyone he loved.

\- ♡ - 

It soon settled into a routine, they would spend an evening together every weekend and would rotate which couple hosted. While Tao's Korean was improving, he was very adamant about speaking Mandarin to Luhan when Baekhyun and Jongin were not present. It was a weird feeling to see Tao clinging so adamantly onto his native tongue, refusing to use Korean even when it would make more sense, because when Jongin and Baekhyun were around they had to.

They were not allowed to talk about party matters at the table - which was often quite difficult for Sehun and Jongin who were often sat apart and did not get to share their views as easily due to this. Sehun did find himself strongly aligned with Jongin, however. The Soviet faction had made it very clear that they liked Sehun and his ideas were very similar. Both of the factions connected to the other communist nations were very concerned as they had no hats in the ring, so to say. It was clear neither of them would produce the first leader. 

Kim Il-Sung was chosen, and Sehun thought it was a sound choice, Kim Il-Sung could speak Chinese and Russian and that made him a better choice than Pak Hon-yong. Sehun was pretty pleased with the outcome, he thought it would be favourable to him because the leader was like him. He would understand Sehun's history and who he had become as a consequence of it.

The day of the announcement Sehun was surprised to see Jongin looking so nervous in the square. Jongin eyed Sehun a little, "Look, I've been up all night writing this - and Baekhyun was just sleeping the whole time." Jongin read over the speech over and over. "I mean, what if it's not good enough? What if the people don't like it? Why was I given the role of speech writer?" 

"Jongin it's going to be fine." 

"Is it? It's the first time Kim Il-Sung will be presenting himself as our leader." 

"And?" 

"And! It has to be perfect, if it isn't it will be all my fault, and I don't know what I'll do if it's terrible. We have to make a good impression - we're all new to our roles and we have to act accordingly...and I know Jongdae is practically breathing down my neck for the writing role." Jongin sighed. "Baek normally reads over my writing but he was asleep and this morning he left early to open up the cafe. I just don't know if it's good enough and he hasn't okayed it." 

"Jongin, it's perfect, you're perfect for this role." 

"If people don't believe him, if they question him - people might turn on me, on us, on Baekhyun, what if they hurt him?" 

"No one is going to hurt Baekhyun - no one is hurting anyone, we are doing the right thing, we are making our country proud."

He was called back pretty soon after and they stood in the crowd after watching the speech. There were parts of it that were a little awkward, but it all went well and it seemed like everyone had accepted that he was to be their leader now. Sehun felt relaxed, the country was really starting to establish itself and finding a leader was really the first step into becoming a legitimate country. 

Sehun felt at peace, as if maybe from now on things would be easier, sure people would still make digs in the meetings about people who had foreign soulmates but really who were they to judge? Maybe they would all just move past it as now they were all on the same side, unified by one leader. 

Of course that led onto the other issue, the South. There was a general consensus amongst all of the factions that Korea should be one country. They had always been one country - well, obviously in history there had been different kingdoms, but before the Japanese had arrived they were a well established singular country and that was something that even the Japanese had kept intact. It felt stupid that the Americans had just decided to split a country without really understanding anything about them and their rich history. 

They had gotten news that the South Koreans were looking to make a move against them early in 1950, and Sehun began to feel increasingly concerned that they were on a one way trip to a war. He could not tell Tao because he had told him that they would be going to find some peace in their lives, he felt like he was trapped. He knew that he couldn't keep Tao in the dark but really, what was he supposed to say? _I know I said we were going to be able to live safe lives here, but I think we're about to start a war - and I know that probably scares you, but you shouldn't be scared because everyone seems to think that this is going to be quick._ Because Tao was definitely not going to buy that. He was not the kind of person who could be easily lied to.

\- ♡ - 

Sehun was awake late into the night again for the fourth night in a row when he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"What's going on Sehun?" Tao said quietly. "You're distracted and you're not sleeping." 

"Just stuff at work." 

"Is it the war?" Tao said flatly. "I mean, it's all everyone is talking about. Luhan is very concerned about it, Minseok had been pulling double shifts to get ready for the commencement." 

"Tao." 

"So yes." Tao said with a small sigh. "And when were you going to tell me about this war?" 

"Soon." 

"Soon as in tomorrow?" 

"Soon as in when I knew more about what was going on." 

"Mhm, just like you were going to tell me that some of the domestic Koreans have been arrested." Sehun sighed, he had hoped to avoid talking about this with Tao. He knew the other was not the most trusting in the system. 

"They were potentially working with the South." 

"Mhm.” Tao said sceptically. “One of them - I think his name was Junmyeon - lived in this block with his partner Kyungsoo, who was in your - what is it that you call it?" 

"Politburo." 

"Yes, that, he was in that." 

"He didn't like foreign matches." 

"Okay, and that makes it better?" 

"No, Tao - they are just being questioned. I'm sure they'll be back soon if they have nothing to hide then I can't see what the problem will be." Sehun shrugged a little. "And about the war, it isn't going to be a long one, when we start liberating the South they will rise up with us and we will finally be a unified country again, the way it should be." 

"War is never that simple." Tao said quietly. "What about the Americans?" 

"They're withdrawing troops, they don't care about Korea, it is ours for the taking and we should be one! Don't you feel better knowing that China is one and that your people are all unified under a communist leader?" 

"It took three years of a civil war, Sehun, I don't know if the lives lost are really worth it all in the end." Tao was quite vehemently opposed to war and Sehun did understand why. He had not seen what Tao had and that was something that would always change the way that the Chinese man saw things. He wondered if Tao would side with him if he supported the war, but really - he had no real reason to worry about it, no matter what happened Tao would still love him, just like he would if their roles were reversed. 

He lay there holding Tao as he gently fell asleep, he wondered about the two who had been taken from the building. He trusted the system - he knew they would be back soon, providing that they were not helping the South and were true communists. He understood why Tao would be worried about it all. He was foreign and people had already made it clear that he was not trusted. However, Sehun trusted him and he trusted the system. 

Everything was going to be okay.

\- ♡ - 

The next day he voted in favour of the war. He knew that Tao would be upset to know there was another conflict, but at the same time in the end the result would justify the means. The Soviet Union had already been sending over supplies such as tanks, and that was something that would really give them the edge when it all came down to it. He really did believe in the country and the communist party, and he knew that in the end Tao would see it too. 


	2. Tao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> Historical Figures  
> Peng Duhuai - Chinese Military Leader for the Korean War
> 
> Terms  
> Kisa - kitten, term of endearment  
> Luchik - derivative of sun ray, term of endearment  
> Politburo - the principal policymaking committee of a communist party.

Tao was trying to pretend that he was not mad at Sehun. 

He had brought them right into another war. Specifically after convincing him to move here on the premise that they had to get away from the war. The outbreak of the war was an aggression from the North Korean side and that made Tao even more frustrated, they were in a war because the government had decided to start one - which was worse than the situation they had been in when they were in China. At least then the war was because of Japanese aggression, and not because they just happened to decide to start a war. 

It really bothered him, but there was nothing he could say to Sehun, who was blinded by his vision of a united Korea. He had a habit of saying things like, ‘well we should be a unified country, if your country was divided like this you'd understand.’ But Tao was not sure that he would, he did not like wars and he really did not understand why this was happening. Maybe he was a bad citizen of the country, but he could not believe that the ends would justify the means here. 

Tao wondered if Sehun had voted in favour of the war, but he never thought to ask, part of him feared what Sehun would tell him. He did know from what Baekhyun had said that Jongin voted in favour of the war - but Tao had expected that from Jongin's position he really had little choice but to agree with the great leader. It was hard for Jongin to have his own opinion and voice them because they would not be heard and could possibly be seen as dissension.

Jongin was increasingly concerned about his reputation, as Baekhyun was rather reluctant to be Korean rather than Russian. Tao had let Sehun tell people that he was Korean at heart despite being Chinese, or something else similarly ridiculous. He might not have really felt that way but he let Sehun say what he needed to in order to solidify his standing in the party - and really if they were going to live here for the rest of their lives then he might as well keep going. He just wanted to be sure that this was the right place, but Sehun was clearly in love with the country, he was never going to go back to Manchuria.

Right now, however - after the close of the Chinese Revolution - Tao wished they were back in China. The war had settled down and Manchuria was now part of China again, and it would be easier to just get on with their lives there. He did understand that Sehun was not interested. Sehun believed that North Korea was the place that they should be. 

Tao loved Sehun, really he did, but sometimes he wondered if it would be better if he just left, and went back home. His Korean had improved greatly, and now he was teaching kids Chinese in the schools - but this did not really fulfil him. He did not know what he wanted to do with his life - although teaching was pretty good. His school was one of decent standing, but that was still not ideal. Tao sometimes found himself looking out of the windows that were in the direction of Seoul, his heart hurt a little wondering what exactly was happening there. He knew what it was like to live through a war and he just hoped that Sehun was right and that this would all be over soon, that soon it would just be one Korea - and then all of this could be over and everyone could just try to live their lives without worrying about what was going on anywhere else. 

Sehun was away a lot more often, he was in meeting after meeting - part of it was because he had made a secure alliance with Kim Jongin, something that Tao was very happy for. It would keep Sehun safe if he was classed as someone who was integral to the party and it gave Tao plenty of excuses to spend time with Baekhyun and Luhan - as Minseok was also busy a lot doing engineering works to aid in the war effort. They spent hours upon hours just talking, complaining about their soulmates who were always busy. 

Baekhyun was a little bit concerned about Jongin, concerned that he might decide that for political reasons his Soviet soulmate was not quite good enough. Although Tao knew that was never going to happen, he could see how Jongin looked at Baekhyun and he could only hope that that was the way that Sehun looked at him. He did feel loved by Sehun, and he was sure that their love was as deep as the deepest parts of the ocean but the way that Jongin and Baekhyun had met sounded like a movie and their whole life together seemed like a movie, they were the lead roles and Tao was just an extra. 

They had been moved into a slightly better apartment - mostly because Jongin had complained that they were suffering having to live next to people who openly opposed people being soulmates who were from different backgrounds. Tao knew that there was movement within some of the politburo to try to make it so if your soul mark was not in Korean then you could not be trusted and he really hoped that that did not gain any traction. He was not going to be the reason why his partner was unable to work himself up in this society. He had never imagined a society that put more value on where you came from rather than your own ideas and morals. 

He was thinking about this as he cooked for Sehun, who wasn't home yet - but he liked to have it almost ready for the time that Sehun said he'd be home, he was really trying to be a good house husband. 

When Sehun came in, Tao could tell something was wrong. "Dinner will be ready soon, go wash up." He called from the kitchen and Sehun just shuffled into the bathroom, coming back out shortly later. 

Sehun sighed when he came back in, he gave Tao a soft kiss, getting himself a drink and then moving to set the table. Tao brought the food over, his soulmate's silence was really concerning him but he did not know exactly how to start the conversation, so instead he put helpings of rice into bowls and then went to sit down with him. 

"Eat well." He said with a smile, "I was thinking we could go for a walk tonight." Tao said softly. "You are inside so often, I think the air will be good for you." 

"I can't, Tao." Sehun said with a sigh, and Tao felt increasingly concerned as each second went on. "I have to go back to work, I'll probably be working through the night and I don't know if I'm going to be home for dinner for a while." 

"Why?" Tao said softly, putting his chopsticks down, wanting to focus on the conversation, because it really was something serious if Sehun was not going to be coming home tonight. "You can tell me? Is there a problem within the party? Is it the guerrilla fighters? Because they really have no right to tell other people how to live. It's not like you chose to have a soulmate who was Chinese." 

"No baby, it's not about that. You don't need to worry about that, I am pretty sure that no one is ever going to listen to that idea - it is stupid as we are all communists here, and that is what matters the most." Sehun sighed and took a big gulp of his drink. "It's the Americans. Well the United Nations." 

"What about them?" 

"They have voted to intervene in the war." 

"Why?" 

"The Republic of Korea asked them to, and the Soviet Union were boycotting the Security Council so there was no one there to veto the Americans’ idea." 

"You told me no one would get involved and that this was just an issue for the Korean people." Tao said looking at his husband feeling shocked, he knew that the army here would be no match for the United Nations forces. "What does this mean?" 

"It means we need to think more about strategy, and I need to draft a telegram to go to the Chinese, I am going to ask them to help us." Sehun seemed to be confident, which Tao guessed was something.

\- ♡ - 

He knew he shouldn't be too concerned, knowing that his partner seemed to think that there was a plan that could be enacted. He just was not sure if they were really going to be okay. He felt like war was pointless and they were being put at risk for no reason. The war had put an end to their socialising, but he was still talking to Luhan regularly as they were both teaching Chinese at the same school. Tao taught younger students while Luhan took the older ones - they worked together to discuss the levels of Chinese that were being spoken and about how they could keep going with the teaching. Luhan was very happy teaching - and Tao wondered if he had hoped to be a teacher back in China before everything had happened.

Tao missed seeing Baekhyun regularly, and he knew that the man was working in a cafe, he just had not been to see him for a while, not since the war had really started, and Baekhyun had told him that Jongin had voted in favour, Tao was just focusing on keeping his head down. He knew that during war times it was more common for people to turn on outsiders, foreign members of their society and he just wanted to be able to keep his life as normal as possible. 

He sighed while sitting in his school room, looking over the children’s marks. He looked up when Luhan came in looking a little worried. "Hey." Tao said, sighing again as he corrected some hanzi in the book he was marking. "What is it?" 

"They're building factories underground." Luhan said looking at Tao. "This war that everyone keeps saying is going well is obviously not. Pyongyang is at risk. I have heard there might even be evacuations." 

"Luhan." Tao said quietly, putting his pen down. "Sehun hasn't told me about that - and if it was dangerous then he would have told me by now. He knows that I am very worried about our safety and I know that he would make sure that we would be okay." Tao took a slow breath, "I just - I can't imagine him not telling me. Or maybe he would. I guess war changes people." Tao looked at the photograph on the desk of the two of them. He was starting to wonder if he really did know his soulmate sometimes. 

"Can you ask him?" Luhan said quietly. "Can you just ask him if everything is going to be okay?" 

Luhan sounded scared, they'd both been soldiers but they never really spoke of the war, and Tao often wondered what had happened to Luhan. He knew from what Baekhyun had told him that Luhan had nightmares, Baekhyun had heard him screaming in the night once and ran to the door, only to have it answered by Minseok who just told him that Luhan was fine. Tao could not ask about that event - as he did not want to upset Luhan, and also it really had nothing to do with him. 

"Please- Are- Is Pyongyang going to be bombed?" Luhan was almost shaking now and Tao just wished he knew the answers to calm him. 

"Luhan, we should be fine. Sehun told me that they have a strategy." Tao said with a reassuring smile. 

He was not entirely sure that he believed that, but he knew that he had to keep trying to believe it. He had to trust that his soulmate would tell him exactly what was going on, and that if they were in danger then Sehun would tell him. Though...when it really came down to it, he was not entirely sure. He just knew that the man in front of him needed to believe he was confident. 

"And I will ask Sehun tonight when he gets home." That was if he came home, Sehun had been spending more and more time at the office. If Tao was the jealous type he would probably think that the other had a lover. But he knew Sehun, and he knew that Sehun loved him and really only had eyes for him. Unless it was possible for Sehun to cheat on him with the country, because if that was the case then that was happening for sure.

\- ♡ - 

Sehun loved the country, he really did - Tao had put up with that for months, but as of late it was worse. Sehun was working most of the day, sometimes he slept in the office. It was the sleeping in the offices that annoyed Tao the most, because then when Sehun did eventually come home, he complained about having a sore back. Sehun loved him, Tao knew that - but sometimes he just wished that Sehun could leave work and just come home.

He missed parts of Sehun that he wasn't even romantic in nature, he missed hearing Sehun talk about his day, he missed cooking for Sehun and laughing when Sehun always put more salt in the food. He missed just lying next to his soulmate, and he did understand that they were in a war now, and that it was important for everyone to stay on top of the situation, he just still did not understand why it was always Sehun. 

He should really go and see Baekhyun, he told himself, knowing that he was avoiding him because he knew that Jongin had voted for this damned war - but if Sehun was away all this time then Jongin must be away even more. 

Tao packed up his things and left his classroom with Luhan, walking him back to his own apartment before going to knock on Baekhyun's door. 

Baekhyun opened the door and gave Tao a smile, moving to hug him quickly and then invite him in. "I haven't seen you for a long time." 

"I know. I'm sorry, it's been hard, you know with the war." Tao said, looking down, Baekhyun had pulled him into the kitchen and was starting on making the tea. "I was in the war against the Japanese, so I find this... hard." 

"I understand." Baekhyun said softly. "And Jongin is very pro this conflict, he believes it will unify the peninsula." 

"Sehun feels the same too." Tao sighed, taking the tea and holding it between his hands, letting it warm them. "I can't really see it as a good thing," he took a deep breath, "and Sehun promised me that if we moved here there wouldn't be any wars. I just hate war." 

"I know, Jongin told me that too." Baekhyun shrugged, "and you know I nearly lost him to the last war, but Jongin has always been headstrong. And he really does believe in Comrade Kim Il-Sung. I cannot tell you why, I love Jongin, I really do, but he just believes so fervently. He won't listen to me. I'm sure Sehun is the same. I mean, I don't really see why it had to be a war." 

"Luhan is - " 

"He's worse, I know." Baekhyun said quietly, almost as if Luhan would be able to hear. "There were people in Russia like him, scarred from the war." Baekhyun looked at the tea. "I mean, I'm not an expert, but some men came back from the war with different scars." 

"Combat stress reaction." Tao said looking at the tea, he felt guilty for saying it, for talking about this without Luhan here. He had worried he had it, but if he did it was not that bad, not anymore at least. Sometimes he felt guilty for his part in the war, but from what Baekhyun had told him, and the fact that Luhan shook like a leaf earlier in his class room he knew that Luhan was suffering from something much worse. 

"We called it battle fatigue." Baekhyun sighed, taking a sip of the tea. "Fatigue isn't really the right word for it really. He had night terrors. When Minseok is working overtime I feel so bad that he sleeps alone." 

"You know, he might have CSR, but he's the most badass out of all of us soulmates." Tao said with a little laugh. 

"True. He was an elite soldier, and I think he's been in contact with China all this time." Baekhyun said, laughing at Tao's look. "Please, none of us are going to tell anyone that he is probably getting information over the river, plus the Chinese are our allies." Baekhyun sighed looking at Tao, "Honestly, I don't know if this situation is good for him, maybe he should go back to China." 

"China is now communist, so he should be safe." Tao conceded. "But I think like Sehun and Jongin, it means a lot for Minseok to be here."

\- ♡ - 

It was a few weeks later when Sehun came home and began putting things in suitcases. Tao was confused, trying to get Sehun to stop, trying to get him to talk to him but Sehun was like a man possessed. He was really unnerving Tao, who was starting to wonder if Sehun was really okay, or maybe he was just so overworked he was acting out. He did not even know where to begin and Sehun was just throwing things into suitcases. Tao watched as their wardrobes were emptied and their books shoved into bags. "Sehun. I don't understand."

"There is a car downstairs." Sehun said, zipping the suitcase up quickly, dragging it out and going into their kitchen and living area, looking for anything they needed. "Okay I think I've got everything that is important, is there anything you need?" 

"I'm not going." Tao said flatly, he was not going to leave when he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He did trust Sehun, but he was so lost and he was not about to let Sehun just drag him somewhere and not tell him why. "I don't understand Sehun." He said steeling himself for a standoff if his soulmate was not willing to openly tell him what was going on. He just looked at him, not entirely sure what he was going to get, Sehun dropped the bag and took a step closer to him taking his hands in his. 

"Zitao, we need to leave tonight, please come with me now." 

"Why? Where are we going? You need to tell me because I'm so confused and I'm not going until you tell me what the fuck is going on." 

"Huang. Zi. Tao." 

"Wu. Shi. Xun." Tao replied, "You can't use this to stop me needing to understand Sehun. I just need you to tell me because I'm scared, I'm really scared and I can't leave and just get in a car with you when I don't know what's going on. Crazy things have been happening since before the war and people are going missing and I don't think I can do this." Tao said he had not been completely aware of the stress that he was under, until he burst into tears. Sobs wracking through him as Sehun had to practically catch him and hold him up. 

"Tao, Zitao." Sehun said softly, holding Tao against him. Tao felt so much safer in Sehun's arms. He knew it was part of the soulmate bond but they loved each other, and Sehun would always protect him, he knew that. He just felt so afraid and everything felt so out of control and like he was standing in the middle of a fire and everyone was just letting him get consumed. "Tao, baby, I promise you no one is taking you anywhere." Sehun ran his fingers gently through Tao's hair, rocking him, rubbing his back and just trying to make him feel safe. "We need to leave Pyongyang, we're being evacuated." Sehun said softly. "We have intel that the United Nations are going to bomb Pyongyang and key members of the politburo are being moved further north. We're going up north to keep you safe okay?" 

Tao nodded against his soulmate, before standing back up and wiping his eyes, taking Sehun's hand and letting himself get taken down to the car. He sat in the car silently, Sehun holding his hand tightly. That was the plus to having a soulmate, they did not have to talk to understand each other, and Tao knew from the bottom of his heart that Sehun was literally trying to do the best thing for them. He wished that he could feel safe, but the idea that the United Nations were that close, the tide must be turning in the war - and that was something that scared him. 

He did not want to think about what would happen to them should they lose the war. Sehun could be punished for being a politician on the wrong side, and he knew that the Americans were not above using the death penalty. He just wanted to go back to China, he wanted to feel safe again. He fell asleep in the car, Sehun's hand in his tightly still. 

He was woken by Sehun when they arrived and was taken into a small house, setting their bags down and then Tao just went to bed. He was too emotionally and physically exhausted.

\- ♡ - 

He was unsure how long he slept for, but the next morning Sehun had already left when he woke up, having left a note behind. Tao tried to motivate himself to get ready, to try to keep himself going, but he was unsure, everything felt uneven and he did not know if there was a way to get rid of that feeling. He decided to take a walk, this was the most of the countryside that he had seen, it was quite nice out here, he felt pretty comfortable. They were close to the Yalu river - he had heard the driver talking to Sehun when they had first gotten into the car. So it was quite a bit like Manchuria he imagined, as the river was the natural barrier between China and North Korea.

He looked around the village, there were people living here who had obviously been here for a long time. He imagined most of them had been here during the Japanese occupation because he could not imagine there were many people who were moving to live here and settling in the countryside. There were a few more mixed couples than he expected - although that was something to be expected in a border town. 

He walked over to a woman who was trying to sell her wares, the black market was apparently in operation here. "Hi." He said with a smile, noticing how some people had quieted down to look at him. He could not work out why, his soulmark was very clearly in Korean, or maybe they could tell he was Chinese. "I love your beadwork." He said crouching down to look over them closer. "But I don't have anything to trade for it." He sighed. Although when he looked at her he could see she was in need of food - and part of him wondered why. In Pyongyang people did not want for things like food, they had enough - and were under the impression that was the case elsewhere. "If you're here tomorrow I can maybe give you some of our rice." He said quietly. "They gave us slightly too much." 

The woman handed him the beaded bookmark that he had been most interested in, telling him it was okay, it was free. He knew people must know that for him to be new, he was related to a high ranking official, so black market dealings were illegal. He smiled taking the bookmark and he smiled at her, eyes flickering down to her soulmark, and seeing it was in Japanese. He had known it was possible - there were no real limits to who could be your soulmate - but he had never seen someone with a Japanese soulmark. 

He could see now that people were not staring at him - but rather they were looking at her and at him talking with her. He felt bad for her - she was probably suffering from prejudice, and there was no reason to feel like that. You couldn't pick your soulmate, Tao knew that - although he was pretty sure that even without the soulmark he would always pick Sehun. He loved Sehun with his whole being, and he was sure he would even without the soulmark. "I will bring something to trade tomorrow." He told her quietly. "I promise." He was certain that he was not just going to let this woman suffer because of who she had been destined to be with. He assumed from the marks being faded that her soulmate had been taken from her, there was no need to punish someone for the sins of someone else, no one should be punished for falling in love. 

When he got home he separated out some of the rice to give to the woman. He had decided - for some reason, that he was going to help her out. She was being punished for something that she could not control. Tao looked up when Sehun came in, he was late and Tao was unsure if he had eaten yet. "I can make you some kimchi fried rice." Tao offered, giving Sehun a soft kiss before taking him to sit on the sofa. Sehun gave him a slow nod and Tao knew that was a yes. He began cooking and came back with a plate, cuddling against Sehun as he ate, Tao was unsure of if Sehun was okay, he felt very stressed. "Is everything okay, baby?" 

"Mao Zedong has changed his mind." 

"Changed his mind about what?" Tao asked, genuinely confused, he had not known anything about the Chinese being involved in this really. He just wanted his soulmate to get it all out, he wanted him to feel safe and to feel more relaxed. Tao knew that they'd been talking less recently because Sehun knew deep down how Tao felt, and that was something that he could not change. 

"He isn't going to help us." Sehun said quietly, "and the Soviets can't help us because of the American involvement - we were told that Mao Zedong was going to help us but now he is saying that he doesn't want to. Honestly, I don't know what to do." Sehun put the plate down on the small coffee table, and Tao shifted, moving to sit up closer to him, pressing a small kiss to the corner of Sehun's mouth. 

"It's going to be okay Sehun." Tao said calmly, he knew that Sehun was scared, and so he would have to mask his own fear. He would provide Sehun with a refuge when things were hard, they were a team and he was never going to let Sehun fight anything alone. He was never alone in this. "We are going to be okay." 

"The United Nations forces are pushing us back day by day, we had to leave Pyongyang because they're bombing it, and our airforce don't really have planes - the Soviets are sending MiG planes but we haven't received them yet, and it is very hard to fly the planes because the wings aren't level and I don't know if we have the skill to fly them - because it is impossible." Sehun sounded exhausted, and Tao wondered if Sehun had been holding this in all this time. While they were avoiding a topic that they knew they would never see eye to eye on, they had perhaps been neglecting to help the other cope with the situation. Tao shifted easily, straddling Sehun, he wanted him to focus on him. He looked at Tao and Tao gave him a little smile. 

"Okay, look at me." 

"I don't think I could not look at you." Sehun said with a small smile, and Tao felt it was a mini victory. 

"We can't change these things, we can just deal with them, and you are an amazing politician." Tao said softly. "You're so good at your job and I don't say it enough, I am so proud of you." 

"I love you Tao." 

"I love you too, Sehun." He pressed a kiss to Sehun's lips and cupped the other's cheek. "I want you to know that I support you completely. We can get through this together." He took a slow breath, "Do you want me to write you a telegram you could send?" 

"I'm still bilingual." Sehun said with a laugh, pulling Tao down for a kiss again. "But would you please proofread it for me?" 

"Hmmm..." Tao said playfully. "Of course I will." Tao was still against the war, he was still against it all. But he was not going to let his soulmate suffer because they could not agree on this issue. He also was aware that if the Chinese did not join the war then people would probably end up turning on the Chinese, and those with Chinese soulmates and his heart ached at the idea that the woman selling her handmade bookmarks on the black market to live was going to be Sehun's future.

\- ♡ - 

They stayed up late working on the telegram before eventually falling asleep on their sofa together. He was woken when Sehun got up to go back to the meetings, ready with his telegram. Tao wanted to cook him breakfast but it was too hard to get himself going. He just ended up somehow back in the bed for a few more hours until he woke up again. He hoped that it was going better for Sehun today, but there was no point just sitting at home and wondering about it, so instead he left, he wanted to give the woman the rice and when he found her, he gave her another smile.

He handed her the rice and she offered him whatever he wanted from her stock and he smiled, taking a bracelet that was green and silver. "My soulmate and I... these are our birthstone colours." Tao took the bracelet. "Do you have another?" 

"I can make one." 

"Please, I can bring you more rice - more anything you need." 

"You are too kind." 

"It seems like kindness is not easily found here." Tao said looking at the woman. "I assume it is your soulmark that has left you shunned - and I will never punish anyone for who they love. I hate it." 

"My husband was killed shortly after liberation" She said quietly. "We will never see each other again - but for people here it is not enough." 

"I'm Chinese and my soulmate is Korean. I know it's not the same, but some people in Pyongyang were against people like us." Tao said softly. "We cannot choose our soulmates. I know that you would never have chosen - " 

"I would have chosen him." She said quietly. "Hiroaki wasn't like the rest. He was different. He was a young soldier when I first met him and he never agreed with what they were doing - he hated it as much as we did and he never did anything to anyone in the village. He just wanted to live among us, he just wanted a family and we had one. I have two daughters. They did nothing wrong, they did not understand why people hated their father and I know that in school they are treated badly." 

"I am very sorry." Tao said quietly, his heart hurt at the idea that this woman and her children had suffered so much, when really they did nothing wrong. "What can I get for your daughters?" 

"The rice is more than enough." 

"You're making a bracelet especially for me." 

"You have been very generous." 

"Can you tell me your name?" 

"Yoon Hyesun." 

"I'm Huang Zitao. But everyone just calls me Tao." Tao said with a small smile. "I will bring something for you and your girls tomorrow." 

"I will make the bracelet for you." Hyesun smiled, Tao felt something in his heart settle. He was doing a good thing, looking out for Hyesun felt like the right thing to do. This society was supposed to be communist and that meant that they were supposed to all be equal, but it did not feel that equal when some people were being shunned just because of who they had found to be their soulmate. He did not, however, tell Sehun about the woman, he just wanted the other to feel relaxed at home and not worry about what Tao was doing. He took her some of their kimchi - there was always some left over because Tao did not enjoy the spicy flavour that much, so they were not eating it all too quickly. 

When Sehun came home that day he looked a little more cheerful, Tao was very surprised - he knew that things were getting worse, he had heard that the Americans were getting closer and closer to the border, towards the Yalu river. "What has you in a good mood?" 

"The MiG's arrived." Sehun said, giving Tao a kiss. "Not that I think we have a chance at flying them successfully, but they have given us some Russian pilots who will say they are Chinese if they are captured." 

"Oh yes, everyone's favourite Chinese soldiers, the ones who are white and speak Russian." 

"Okay, okay, I know that's stupid, but we might actually be able to defend our airspace." Sehun said with a smile, Tao couldn't help his mood feeling lifted by his soulmate's smile. 

"I have something for you, hold out your wrist." He said with a grin. Sehun held out his wrist and Tao put the bracelet on him. "Okay have a look." He said watching Sehun looking over it - clearly impressed by it. "I love you, and I wanted you to know that I am always with you no matter what happens." 

"Green and Silver, like our birthstones, isn't it?" 

"I knew you'd get it." Tao said with a grin, pulling Sehun in for a kiss. Things were getting slightly easier with the way that they were fitting into this life here. Tao did miss working, but he was still improving his Korean, talking to the people in the village and he was starting to think that maybe village life was better than when they were living in Pyongyang. 

They did get the news they were hoping for right at the last second and the Chinese joined the war, Tao felt a little bit more relaxed, people would not turn on the Chinese so easily and he could feel relieved to think that Sehun was not going to be shunned.

\- ♡ - 

As the Chinese joined, the tides were turning again and soon they had to move again. They had been out of Pyongyang for almost eighteen months and Tao had become close to Hyesun and was frustrated at the prospect of moving, promising to write to her - but still he felt like once again all of his life was being taken away from him. He just wanted to be settled, to make a life for them.

They were still living outside of Pyongyang - but he could go into the city when Sehun was at meetings. It was stupid not to let them move back in, parts of the city were being rebuilt. There were still bombing raids, but there were rumours that peace talks were going to begin soon, something that Sehun would always deny when Tao brought it up. 

Their new apartment was relatively nice, but at the same time it was not the same as the apartments that some of them had been in while they were in the capital city. He knew that it was not Sehun's fault but there were parts of him that were still annoyed at Sehun for putting him in this situation. He loved his soulmate but sometimes he wondered if Sehun thought of him, really thought of him when he made these choices. 

Sehun was busy most of the time and Tao felt a little isolated at home - there were no schools for him to teach in and he really was starting to wonder what his life had become. As he was able to go into the city he was able to spend time with Luhan again - although he was surprised to see how Luhan had become a lot stronger in his belief in China. Not that Tao minded, he loved his homeland - even if he knew he was most likely going to spend the rest of his life in North Korea. He knew Luhan was trying to convince Minseok to go back, and Tao wondered if it really was for the best. He loved his homeland and his soulmate, maybe he would learn to love it here as he did his homeland. 

He was surprised when he was walking through the city, he loved to do that, to just wander through the city and see what was really on offer here. He knew that things were difficult, and he could see where the United States had been bombing - he often wondered if the city had been fully evacuated, because it did not seem as if Luhan and Minseok had been. Tao knew he was lucky, they would make sure that Sehun was kept alive, and that meant that in turn Tao would be protected to an extent. He wondered how long it would take for the rebuilding, he knew that as the fighting got closer to the demarcation line between the north and south that rebuilding would properly start. 

He was further shocked to see someone he had thought he would never see again, unable to stop himself hugging the soldier who was still in his uniform. "Yixing, what are you doing in Pyongyang?" He had fought with the other man in the war, and the other man had saved his life more times than he could count - but he had not expected to find him in Korea.

"I got pulled into this war." 

"Ah, you're still in the army." 

"Yeah, unlike you I didn't have a soulmate to go back to, so I fought in the civil war." 

"Yeah Sehun brought me here on the promise of no war." Tao said with a little laugh, they were standing in a run down part of the city that had been relatively badly hit by the bombing raids. "And that went really well, didn't it?" 

"Yeah... and now I'm sort of... well my... I've not gone missing, but I have a problem." 

"Yixing, what did you do?" 

"I - I've met my soulmate." 

"Okay, that's great, that's amazing." Tao said looking down at the others arm, seeing that a name had joined the Zhang Yixing that was written in a latin script. He had always known what Yixing's mark looked like, but he felt confused. "Did you meet them in Shanghai?" The city was known for its racial diversity with British, French and German nationals residing there, even after everything that had changed in the country since the colonial period. 

"No, I met them in North Korea." 

"Oh, an American born Korean, a lot have returned - Sehun does not really know how he feels about them, because he loves his country and also had to leave during the Japanese occupation, but they are a lot more capitalist over there." Tao had heard Sehun talking over and over about the way that he felt unsure of them and like he would have to keep an eye on them. Yixing shook his head. 

"Can I trust you?" 

"Of course." 

"He's a soldier. A UN soldier." Yixing’s voice became nothing more than a whisper towards the end of the sentence. 

"Where is he?" 

"In an apartment over there, and you used to be a medic, so can you please help me." 

"Help you how?" 

"I shot him in the leg." 

"You did what?" 

"I saw him and we both knew and I didn't know what happened and then I accidentally shot him in the leg and had to get him around here. I still don't really know what I can do and I'm so scared Tao. I've finally found him, I have finally found my soulmate and of course he would be the only person that I should not love, but you tell that to my soulmark. I love him and I'm so scared." 

"I understand." Tao said quietly. "I cannot tell Sehun and he is expecting me home soon. I will come back tomorrow okay? Sehun is out most of the day - and he knows that I am spending time in the city because I have another Chinese friend here. If needed, I might be able to get him to help us. Luhan loves our country and believes that us Chinese should look out for each other. I just - you need to keep him out of sight. Do you have food?" 

"I have some of my rations still." 

"What about your post?" 

"I go back in the evening, we're currently on guard rotation at one of the makeshift prisoner of war camps, so I come as often as I can and try to take a little extra for him." 

"Okay, we will sort something out okay?"

\- ♡ - 

Tao went back to his apartment and cooked for him and Sehun, they ate in relative silence, Tao felt guilty holding back something so important from Sehun, but he knew that the other man would never understand. He could only see the war and his country and the idea that they were going to right some sort of historical wrong, and who was Tao to tell him how to feel about his own country and people? Tao loved his soulmate more than life itself, and he really did know deep down that Sehun loved him too. He loved lying next to Sehun and cuddling against him, he wished he could just come and tell him about everything that was happening, but deep down he knew that Sehun would tell someone and would put Yixing at risk.

Tao packed a little bag with some medical supplies and some food, and went out into the city. It took him a while to get there, and then he had to wait for Yixing to arrive as well, before he was taken into a dingy apartment building. Tao wondered what lies Yixing was saying to get away from his post, and he was very concerned about the risks that Yixing was taking in order to look after his soulmate.

Tao was surprised to see a Chinese man lying on the bed with his leg wrapped. "Oh, you really did shoot him in the leg." Tao stepped a little closer, he could see both names on the man's wrist. "Wu Yifan..." Tao read and then turned to look at Yixing. "You told me he was... Canadian." 

"He's a UN soldier." Yixing responded. 

"Right, but he's Chinese." Tao looked at his friend not quite understanding this situation. "Does he speak Chinese?" 

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" The man in the bed, Kris from Yixing's soulmark, Yifan from his own, said in Chinese. Tao looked back at him and saw that Kris was eyeing his arm, the Korean. "Is he safe?" 

"Mhm, I'm Chinese." Tao said getting onto the bed, and untying the bandage. "His injury isn't that bad." 

"You try getting shot by your soulmate." Kris said, giving Yixing a glare that Tao could see had no malice in it. Tao just set to work cleaning him up and then rewrapping his leg. "Your soulmate is Korean?" 

"Yes." Tao said sitting back, Yixing was busy preparing some kind of food. "And you're Canadian." 

"Can you stop saying it like it's weird please?" Kris said with a small sigh, "There are plenty of Chinese people in Canada. So many that we thought my soulmate was actually in Canada, because why would I happen to meet him on the battlefield?" 

"What are you planning on doing?" 

"Shooting him in the leg." Kris said with a playful smile, "but he won't let me have my gun." Tao could already feel the connection that they shared. "I've told him to just hand me over and take me to his prison camp." 

"I'm not going to do that." Yixing said from across the room. "You're my soulmate, I am not about to lock you away and then at the end of the war they will send you home and I will never see you again." 

"Yes, but it would keep you safe!" 

"But what about you?" Yixing sighed, "I would rather die for you, than put you in the cells of our prison camp. I know that it's not really that bad, and we did promise to abide by the Geneva conventions but none of this war has followed those rules and I will not risk your life just so I can live an easier life. Plus, do you think the other UN soldiers are going to not notice your arm, my arm, the fact you speak Chinese, or the fact that I cannot take my eyes off of you." 

"Yixing, you would be a professional." Kris said quietly, "I really just need you to be safe." 

"And I want you to be safe. So I guess we're stuck." Yixing said softly, coming over to the bed and giving Kris a soft kiss. "I will work something out." 

Tao gave them a little smile, while everything felt so out of control, he did know that he was loved like this by Sehun. Sehun would move mountains for him, he did know that - even when it felt like Sehun loved his country more than he could love anything else. It just made him hurt more, the idea that they could be trapped in a world like this, caught on opposing sides even though their hearts beat as one.

\- ♡ - 

That night when he was at home with Sehun, he could not help but shower him a little bit more in affection. He wanted Sehun to know how much he loved him, having known he had recently been a little bit standoffish and cold with his soulmate because he was so frustrated with the situation that they had found themselves in. Tao could not imagine a life where he was not tied to Sehun and he knew that no matter what happened he would always find Sehun and that their love was unbreakable. Tao really did hope that Sehun knew just how much he loved him, that Tao really would go to the ends of the Earth for him.

They lay together entangled in sheets, Sehun pressed a soft kiss to Tao's lips as he tried to keep himself awake, wanting to commit all of Sehun to his memory. "I love you." Tao breathed out. 

"I love you too Tao, I'm sorry about all of this, all the moving and I know I promised no war but I know it will be worth it." 

"I know you didn't mean to bring me into this chaos." Tao said quietly, tracing shapes on Sehun's bare torso. He really wanted to tell Sehun about everything, he felt stupid for shutting down and not telling him. They were soulmates - they would be intrinsically on the same level, they had to be. Tao was trying to find the right words to say, he wanted to make sure he said it right the first time. He'd done nothing wrong, but he wanted Sehun to know that he was being careful and that it really was not as bad as it was going to sound the first time he heard it. 

"There are rumours of soldiers who find each other on the battlefield." Sehun said quietly. "We were lucky it was not like that for us. They are to be punished, it is a crime against their country." 

"Sehun - " 

"I know it's harsh, but it is the law." 

"But they're soulmates." Tao felt stupid again, how could he have been foolish enough to think that Sehun would for ever side with anyone other than the country he was so enamoured with? Tao was glad that he had struggled to find the words instead of dooming his friend to a horrible punishment. He wondered if anywhere in the world was more understanding and if they were, would Kris and Yixing be safe. "If we were on different sides of a war, I wouldn't have been able to act against you." Tao said quietly. 

"You never have to worry about that Tao, I am never going to let anyone hurt you. And besides, me and you are always on the same side, right?" Tao nodded, although he was not all that sure that that was true. He wondered what Sehun would say if he could read all the thoughts in his head. He wondered if they really would be on the same side if Sehun knew that he was going to continue helping Yixing and Kris. He just could not bear the idea that they would be left to suffer, to be torn apart or to suffer because of who they had been fated to be with. It was not their fault that the world was like this. 

Tao watched as Sehun slept, trying not to feel hurt by the way that the other had reacted. He wished that he could make Sehun understand why exactly they were not wrong for being soulmates.

\- ♡ - 

Tao had only really learnt a little bit about Kris when he went to visit Yixing and him in their hiding place. All he really knew was that they were soulmates, but he could also see how strong their connection was. Kris and Yixing were still unsure of what to do - there was no precedent really for what would happen if two soldiers on opposing sides found out they were soulmates.

Kris was up and walking already and he knew that Yixing was completely taken with him. "We could get him into China." Yixing said firmly as they sat at the table. 

"In his UN uniform, you will never make it to the Yalu." 

"He'd fit your clothes." Yixing said firmly. "You know he would." Tao looked at Kris and he could tell that they would fit each other's clothes but if there was anything that identified them as being his, then there would be a problem. Sehun would get in trouble if they got caught.

"Xing, you know what will happen if you get caught. My soulmate is high up in the party and if you get caught and we're implicated they will make a spectacle of our executions." Tao looked away from him and sighed. "I want to help you, really I do, but I just - " 

"You have had your soulmate since you were a kid, I have just gotten mine and you want me to just let it go." 

"Xing, turn him in as a prisoner of war and after the war - " 

"I'm not having him locked up!" 

"You may have no choice." Tao said with a sigh, he honestly could not believe he was having to deal with this. "I have to worry about my soulmate too, do you know what position this would put him in, if you got caught?" 

"Zitao." Yixing said with a pleading look. 

"It's okay Yixing." Kris said finally talking, he looked at Tao and then shrugged. "He's right, it would be a risk, and I understand why he is not willing to take it, because if I was him - I would not want to put you at risk." Kris looked at Yixing, "You can turn me in as a prisoner of war, I'll be okay." Tao's heart broke when he saw how Kris and Yixing looked at each other. “After the war is over, we can find a way to be together." 

"You think China will just let a Canadian soldier - " 

"Don't Xing, please don't worry about it, I am going to do what I can to make sure I come home to you." Kris said quietly, he cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to Yixing's lips. It hurt Tao to see this, to see his friend hurting, having to be taken away from his soulmate. "I will find a way back to you." 

"Kris." Yixing said softly. 

"Fine." Tao said, looking at them and then shook his head. "I get it okay, it will be like dying - I know what it's like to be spilt from your soulmate and not being able to go home to him - but if I help you, and if you get caught, and if anything happens to Sehun, I will never forgive you." Tao said getting up, "But it's not going to work unless you know someone who can forge Chinese documents for Kris - Yifan. You will also need to be sent home, because he is not going to blend in. We can do this - but we need to sort out Kris' papers, his clothes, your plan for where to go, and where are you going to be Xing? How are you getting discharged? Or are you going to continue on in the war and just hope Kris adjusts to life wherever and you hope for the best that you can find me?" Tao shook his head. "Once we have a full plan, you can have my clothes, but until then, I will not risk Sehun's job or our lives for this." 

"Okay." Kris said before Yixing could interject. "I understand why you are concerned, we will sort out a plan so you can see it and feel safe. The last thing I would want is to put your soulmate at risk when you have already done so much to help us." Kris looked at Yixing and shook his head. "Especially considering this one decided that the best way to greet your soulmate was to shoot him in the leg." 

"I panicked." 

"Next time, can you panic without a gun pointed at me?" Kris gave Yixing a little smile, "but if you can't work this out, it is enough that you helped up this far. I understand that it was a lot to ask." 

"I will have to ask someone else for help." Tao said quietly, "but I trust him." Tao was so sure that Luhan would help them, that he would understand why they had to help out Yixing and Kris. It helped that Kris was technically Chinese too. 

Luhan was becoming increasingly patriotic, whereas Tao was feeling increasingly disillusioned with the idea of a great state that cared for it's people. He was starting to believe that everyone was, in the end, just as bad as each other and it was really just about keeping your head down and trying not to get completely destroyed by the machine. He could not just watch as people tore apart his friend and his soulmate and he was no longer sure if his own would stand by his side in this fight. 

"Okay, if you trust him then we can." Yixing said, giving Kris a little look. They must know that Tao and Luhan were really going to be their only choices, it was not as if they could just ask either of their military forces for the help that they were looking for. 

Tao wondered how many sets of soulmates were found or had suffered because of the Korean War, Sehun was still insisting it was a civil war, but it was so much more than that really. Tao might not have been a politician, but even he could see that it really had become an ideological battle and that most of the countries involved could not have cared less about the fate of the Korean people, just like they had not cared when they divided the country along a random line. Tao wondered if anyone was even fighting this for the right reasons, it had only been three years and it felt pointless, it felt as if they were running to and fro for no reason. No one could even remember why they were fighting, just as they could not remember the time that they had been brothers.

\- ♡ - 

He was a little bit nervous to talk to Luhan about this, choosing to go at a time he was pretty sure that Minseok would not be there, he did not really know where the other's soulmate stood on these issues and he was not about to risk the life of his friend.

Luhan answered the door with a smile, "TaoTao, Minseok is just having a nap and then a shower, he got back late from work and I think he is going back tonight." Luhan looked as if it was him who was doing all of the extra shifts, but he knew that it must be worry that was keeping the smaller man awake. While most of the factories were currently completely underground and operational, to keep them safe from potential attacks by the United Nations air forces, that was not to say that they were completely without incident. Tao also knew what it was to curl up in your bed and worry about the person you loved until they returned back home. It was happening less frequently as it seemed like the war was now going in their favour again. "You told me in the note you left me that you had something to talk to me about." 

"One of the soldiers who I fought with is here in Pyongyang, but we have a problem." Tao said quietly. "He met his soulmate, but he is a United Nations soldier." 

"Impossible." Luhan said as he poured the tea. "Is he white?" 

"No, he's technically Chinese." Tao said and Luhan nodded a little as if he was thinking. "I can't bear the idea of them being ripped apart, especially when Yixing really is the only reason I came back from the war with the Japanese, how can I just leave him and his soulmate worlds apart?" Luhan nodded again taking a sip of his tea as Tao tried to think of what he was going to say to convince Luhan. "They want to go back to China to spend the rest of their days, and we have been trying to think of a way that it could be possible." 

"It's possible." Luhan said with a little shrug, Tao had known that Luhan had strong connections to the Chinese and that was something that he did envy. He wished he could feel that connection and be able to hear about what was happening, but he was here, and he was completely alone really. "How are we thinking of getting him out?" Tao could not help but smile at Luhan saying we, they were going to be in this together and that was really what mattered here. Luhan was in on the plan already. 

"Well, we were thinking of trying to find a way to get Yixing discharged and sent back. I don't know how we are going to do that, but at worst I think we could probably shoot him." Tao said, taking a sip of tea. Shooting Yixing was the worst idea they had, but it was their backup - to the plan that they did not yet have. "And then we’re going to take Kris separately and have him cross the Yalu river at night, there are less guards there, and at the moment there is a lot of traffic with the Chinese army and the Soviets. And then of course the fact that most guards are being moved down towards the South, especially as we have no enemies on that border." Tao said, that was the part of the plan that they were most comfortable. "We're going to try to make contact with someone there to pick him up and then try to get them to meet up in a certain place. Kris has a Chinese name - Yifan - and he does speak Mandarin. His accent is barely noticeable, but of course there are many people who have returned to China since the Communist Party won...I think we can really work it." 

"Right, so we need to finalise a route to get him to the Yalu river. I assume clothing is going to be needed - because he'll be wearing his uniform - and then we need to get Yixing sent home, and then get Kris... Yifan false papers. Okay. That isn't too hard." 

"Well...it is. I don't really know how to complete many of the steps." Tao sighed, "I have a friend, a Korean woman who's soulmate was Japanese, if we can get him to that village by the Yalu, she would help him hide until it was safe to cross." Tao hummed a little "But I can't really write to her until we have a plan in place, because obviously she is going to need to know what is going on." 

"Right, so we might have a stopping place on our way to the river." Luhan hummed. He got up, going over to one of the drawers and grabbed a notebook and an atlas. "Okay, we're going to sort this out." Luhan laughed a little at Tao's expression. "What did you think, this was my first smuggling mission?" 

"Do you do this often?" Tao said, raising his eyebrow slightly. He had never really imagined that Luhan would have this side to him. He always thought of him as the mild mannered, quiet teacher who was just waiting for his engineer husband to get home from work. He had never thought that Luhan would be the kind of person who had been smuggling people across the border. 

"Mostly it’s just news, but I have done people before. It was kind of... well when the bombs started dropping I knew that I had to try to get people out, so I have some contacts set up. We can get Yifan out of the country." 

Tao did feel a little more relieved at the fact that Luhan had been smuggling people before, although it did kind of scare him to know that the other had experience in it. That it was something that had been needed, that people have been suffering so long and Luhan had been the best hope that some of them had. 

"What about his papers?" Tao said quietly, the papers were really going to be the crux of this plan. He was not sure if you could defect into China from the United Nations, or if you would be put in a prisoner of war camp, and Yixing was adamant that that was not an option that he was willing to explore. He knew that it was going to be hard enough to get Yixing to agree to be separated from Kris for the duration of their travels until they reached their convergence point. 

Luhan looked at Tao and sighed. "I know someone who can forge the documents." He said and Tao knew that this plan was really going to come together. "We have to help out our people." Luhan said quietly, falling quiet as Minseok came into the room, Minseok pressed a quick kiss to Luhan's cheek. Tao felt a pang of guilt, both of them were hiding things from their boyfriends. 

"I've got to go back to the factory, they need the engineers to do extra shifts at the moment." Luhan complained a little, but Tao knew from what Sehun had said, that there was an increased need for supplies. Although the Chinese intervention had massively helped the war effort, there was still a desperate need for arms. It was difficult to think about that when he was trying to find a way to sneak a UN soldier out of the country.

"The only issue left that is a real problem is getting Yixing discharged." 

"Maybe Kris really should shoot him in the leg." Luhan said with a playful grin, "I mean your husband is close to the military commander for China, he does most of the dealings right, because he's bilingual?" 

"You want me to get Sehun involved?" 

"I mean, do we have a better option?" 

"If I get him involved, then we are putting ourselves more at risk, you know that the more people know, the more people who could tell." 

"Your soulmate is not going to tell anyone." Luhan said. "But yes, we have to be really careful."

"I know... that's what I'm worried about." Tao sighed, "I just am so scared of getting caught." Tao knew that he really should trust Sehun, he knew that he _did_ trust his soulmate but this was someone else's life that was resting in his hands and he was afraid that the more people he got involved the more likely this was to all fall apart. He could not bear the idea of what would happen if they got caught, what would happen to all of them involved? How could he do that to Sehun, asking him to risk his entire life to help these two people that he had not met? 

"You don't have to tell him the full details, I tell Minseok a little of what I do, but not anything too deep." Luhan sighed, "I am not going to risk him knowing too much because, honestly I just want him to be safe." Luhan smiled over when Minseok came back in and gave him a kiss before he left. "I love that man." Luhan said softly, "but honestly, he does so much work at the engineering plant that I don't know what to do with myself half of the time." 

Tao nodded a little, "Sehun is in a lot of war meetings at the moment, and he doesn't really talk to me about them. I think he doesn't think that I'd understand." Tao sighed as he took another drink of his tea. He knew that Sehun did really love him, he _knew_ that but he could not help how frustrated the man made him sometimes. He sometimes just wanted to know what exactly was going on, but he knew that even if he begged, Sehun would never tell him about what he was doing with work. 

"Are you going to be able to talk to him about your friend?" 

"Yeah. He is home most nights as of late. Sometimes I don't think that the rest of the party trust the Chinese." Tao said quietly, revealing that secret fear that he'd been holding inside of him since he had heard that almost all of the domestic Korean's who had been in the politburo, or were soulmates with one, had gone missing. He was scared that people were going to turn on the Chinese, because part of him did know that really it was only a matter of time. These people were not the kind who were willing to accept those who were other to them. Tao had always worried about what would happen when that time did come, would Sehun be okay? Would he be okay in the end? 

"I have heard that the Chinese are pushing for a bit more control over what happens here." Luhan said, "I can see both sides really, without the Chinese we would have lost the entire country completely to the United Nations." Tao nodded, he knew that this was true, the Chinese had really been the turning force in the war. "But then when you look at the history of this country, they have really been bossed around their whole history, the Mongols took advantage, the Russians did too, the Qing, and basically any dynasty you can think of - and then of course we have everyone's favourite, the Japanese. What they did to this country was..." Luhan paused a little. "Minseok's family left because they were being oppressed, Minseok was born here, he has a Japanese name." Luhan shook his head, "Korean was outlawed, and they tried to completely destroy this country's spirit and culture." 

"Sehun never told me." 

"Told you what?" 

"That he has a Japanese name." 

"He was born here?" 

"Yeah..." Tao felt a little weird that Sehun had never mentioned that fact to him. Although part of him guessed that his soulmate had no connection to that name, and no one had ever used it with him.

"Minseok only told me because his brother was in the Japanese army." Luhan said with a small shrug. "Honestly, Sehun probably just hated the name and everything it meant. I can tell you if the Japanese had made me take a Japanese name I would not be telling anyone of it." Luhan added, and Tao knew he was right, Sehun and his family would have had his papers changed as soon as they were free from the oppressive rule of the Japanese. "But he will do this for you right? He will help your friend." 

"Yes." Tao said, "especially when he knows what Yixing did for me." Tao knew realistically he could not feel annoyed that Sehun had withheld certain elements of his life from him, when Tao had never told him about the war, or about how he had survived. He knew that really at some point he was going to have to talk to him about it, but he had always felt reluctant to do that, because he knew how sensitive Sehun was. Especially when it came to the idea that Tao might not have come home from the war.

\- ♡ - 

Tao lay with Sehun both of them trying to catch their breath, he knew this was a dumb time to bring it up but he really felt like he had the best chance right now. "Sehun, how much do you have to do with the Chinese military forces leader for the war?" Tao said with a small smile, he imagined that Sehun probably thought that Tao was just interested in his job.

"I work with him every day - he doesn't speak Korean or Russian so he does not get most of the information first hand, although he does have some really great translators. He's strict, but he is actually quite good to work with." Sehun said with a smile and Tao did feel proud, he was proud of his soulmate doing his best for the country he loved and being good at his job. He loved the way that Sehun smiled when he talked about his job - and even though they were in the war and were currently not in Pyongyang he still felt like they were going to be okay, that the war efforts were going to pay off. They were close enough that they could still go into the capital city - it was better than before where they were completely up by the Yalu river. 

"Would you be able to talk to him about a soldier?" 

"Why?" Sehun said quietly. "Is everything okay? Has a Chinese soldier given you a hard time because you're Chinese and not fighting?" 

"No, nothing like that." Tao sighed, tracing his fingers over the soulmarks on Sehun's arms. "It's Yixing." He said quietly. "He met his soulmate and he desperately wants to return to him and I feel so awful, we were in the same regiment and he has had to fight in two more wars than I have, and he has to be apart from his soulmate. I know what that pain is like." 

"Tao." Sehun said softly. 

"I know it's not right for me to ask, but I saw him and he is just so sad. When I was fighting, he was the one who looked after me...he was the main reason I got to come back to you." Tao said. He was not lying, Yixing had more than one time been the only reason he had gotten away from a situation, and he really did owe the man his life. He had never really told Sehun about the war because he knew that the other had spent his whole time worrying and he did not want to make him worry even more about him - but he knew that if he did not tell him then there was no way Sehun would help. "You don't know this, but we ended up cut off from the supply line and Yixing had some food - and even though he was starving he gave it to me." Tao said quietly, "he gave it to me because I had a soulmate and he hadn't met his yet." Tao looked at Sehun's arm, not looking at him because the memory hurt. "And now he has met his - how can I not get him home?" Tao sighed, "He hasn't even asked, that is how dutiful he is, I just can't bear the idea that he will die here and not get to go back home." 

"Zitao." Sehun said quietly, and even though he was not looking at him, Tao knew he was crying. "I will talk to Peng Duhuai."

"Thank you." 

"You've never told me about what happened during the war." Sehun said with a calmness that was surprising, considering Tao could hear his tears. "I know why, it must be painful for you." 

"I also don't want you to be burdened with that pain." 

"I can take it if you want to tell me." Sehun said and Tao moved, gently pressing a kiss to Sehun's lips. 

"Don't lie to me. Wu. Shi. Xun." 

"Huang. Zi. Tao. I love you, I would take the pain from you if I could." Sehun said softly, "but for now I will settle for getting your friend out of the war zone." 

"Three years and we're almost back to where we started." Tao said quietly, "I wonder what we have achieved really." 

"Tao, we are the ones in the right." Sehun said with a warning tone. Tao knew what he was saying was boarding on speaking against the Great Leader, but he could not help his thoughts. He hated war, and this one seemed to be more and more pointless, the more he thought about it. He wondered why they would risk everything to stand on the same ground and look at the same sky as before. 

"I just hate war." 

"I know." Sehun said softly. "I know that, and I'm sorry that I brought you to another - but I promise you, this one is for a good cause, a good reason and once it's over we can live our lives in harmony." 

"I'm not sure war is ever worth it Sehun." Tao said quietly, he got out of the bed and pulled his clothes on, going to look out of the window. He knew what he was saying was tantamount to speaking against the country but he could not stop his tongue and he should be safe to say these things to his soulmate. "If you have seen what I have then you would not be so quick to say war was needed." 

"Zitao, you fighting the Japanese was a just war! You were fighting them to free your country, our country." 

"But it's not my country now is it! I'm here! And my country had another war and now we're in a war, and when does it all stop Sehun? When do I get to live my life without hearing bombs, hearing firearms, having to think about all the things I did, had to do. I saw my friends die Sehun." 

"Tao." 

"I killed people, someone's soulmate, I killed them." Tao said, still staring out of the window. "And you and all the other politicians who never actually have to see the battles keep saying it will all be worth it, but everyone who's died out there, it wasn't the soldiers like me who killed them. It was the politicians like you who did." Tao turned back and looked at Sehun who was just sitting on the bed looking at him. "And I don't care if that's treason. I will never be sorry for not wanting to engage in senseless killing." 

"Tao." 

"I know, I'm supposed to think that everything is fucking sunshine and roses here, but it isn't. It's not! People are dying - people like us, soulmates, people who have yet to meet their soulmates. You're killing your own people and you want me to be happy about it." 

"China wasn't that much better, we left to avoid a civil war." Sehun said glaring, "At least - " 

"Nothing you can say will justify this war to me, so don't even try." Tao said looking at his soulmate. "You used to feel the same way about war, but now you're just like them. Anything can be solved with a bullet." Tao moved to grab the blanket from inside their wardrobe. "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa tonight." He said before storming out. 

He knew he could have handled it a lot better, but he was just so angry and that rage could not be quelled tonight. He thought of all the things that he had done and seen when he was at war. He thought of Kris and Yixing,who were soulmates but were divided by war when really they should have been united through their connection, and then he thought of every life that was being lost to engage in this pointless battle of the wills. He missed his home, Manchuria - though he knew it was now part of China and there had been war and changes - he missed the peaceful life he had had before all of this. He did not want to leave Sehun - and he knew that tomorrow he would apologise for getting so angry, but for now he just had to sit in his rage and wait for it to all fade away.

\- ♡ - 

It was a few days later that the topic was brought up again, when Sehun came in from a day of meetings. "So you know, your friend Yixing will be honorably discharged at the end of this week."

"Thank you." 

"You can stop being angry with me." Sehun said, moving to get some leftovers from the fridge and begin picking at them. "I love you, and I don't want to have this fight with you. I respect how you feel - about war and about all of this, but this is my country and we are doing what we can." 

"I don't care." Tao said, looking at Sehun, trying to temper his own rage again. "I meant what I said." 

"Zitao." 

"I hate war." Tao said with a sigh. "I love you Sehun, but you can't change my mind on this." Tao did not like fighting with Sehun, but he could not recant what he had said because he had really meant it. He looked at the ddeokbokki that Sehun was reheating, before sighing. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but that is who I am and how I feel." 

"I know, and this is who I am and how I feel." Sehun said quietly, eating one of the rice cakes. "Can we just agree that we don't see eye to eye on this?" He reached out and took Tao's hand. "You're my soulmate, and I respect your opinions. I love every part of you. I don't want to fight with you about this, it's redundant." 

"Okay." Tao said, squeezing Sehun's hand. "I don't want to fight either." He took a slow breath, moving to pull Sehun's hand to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I love you, no matter how much our opinions on this differ."

\- ♡ - 

Tao was pleased to tell Luhan and then Kris and Yixing that the plan was now moving forward. Luhan had come through with some very good fakes. The only issue was that Kris and Yixing were going to have to travel separately. They had arranged how they were going to meet up and as the day grew closer and closer Tao felt increasingly apprehensive. He heard that people were being caught at the border and it was becoming harder and harder to pass over the Yalu river.

Luhan had agreed to take Kris as far as he could - because Minseok was working away for the war efforts and Sehun was being extra clingy at the moment. Sehun had probably wondered if Tao was going to leave and go home, or maybe he wondered if Tao had thought of severing their bond. Both were ideas that Tao would never do, but he knew that Sehun did worry about it. He knew there were some Chinese partners who had severed their bonds, and returned to China, but Tao knew that was not going to be him. He might not agree with everything that was going on, but he did know his place was here with his soulmate - even if that meant going against his own thoughts. 

He went to see Kris and Yixing the day before, he had a change of clothes for Kris to borrow while he did so. Tao still felt nervous that if they were caught that the clothing would lead back to him, even though it really did not make sense for that to be a fear of his. There was no name in the outfit and they were all just plain clothes, things that really would not stand out from the crowd. 

Luhan was already there and was talking Kris through the documents in Chinese. Tao couldn't help but look over at them and smile a little - they looked so legit that he was unsure of how Luhan knew someone who could make forgeries that convincing. He gave Luhan a small smile and then went into the back room to talk to Yixing, who he could see was anxious. "Ready to go home?" Tao said with a little smile. 

"You're really going to get Kris back to me aren't you?" Yixing said quietly, "I know it is stupid, we've only known each other a short amount of time - but I can't imagine a world without him, and he just really needs to be okay." Tao smiled, giving Yixing a short hug. He could completely relate to the feeling, this was what it was like having a soulmate, separation was the worst feeling but he knew that they were going to do everything they could to get them back together. "Kris, Yifan - it feels weird to call him that but I'm going to have to aren't I?" 

"Yes, so he fits in, Yifan in public, and you guys are going to meet up in my hometown okay? Kris knows how to get there, and my friend is going to meet him close to the border, Luhan's contact got word to him - and it's going to be okay. You and him are going to live a long, happy life in China together," Tao said with a smile, "just like you deserve. He really does care for you, if he's willing to leave this all behind. I mean, his family - he won't be able to tell them, communication between the United Nations forces and the Chinese does not exist." 

"Am I doing the right thing?" Yixing asked softly. "Having him come with me?" 

"It's not like there are many options for the two of you." 

"He could take me in as a defector." Yixing said quietly. "It would shame my family but would he be happier in Canada?" 

"Would you be happier in Canada?" 

"I'd be happy with him." Yixing said before Kris came into the back room, looping his arm around Yixing's waist and giving him a quick kiss. "Are you going to come eat? Luhan and I are going after dinner." 

They all ate talking over the plan, trying to make sure that everyone knew exactly how everything was going to be and how it was going to be pulled off. Tao felt nervous because if this went wrong everything could be ripped apart for all of them. None of them were from here and none of them would be protected. 

He loved Sehun - more than anything but sometimes he did wonder if Sehun would side with the country rather than him if it all came down to it. He knew it was stupid to think that way - because it was never going to be an issue, it was not going to happen and he was not going to get caught. He wished that there was a way to see the future, to know that this would be okay and that they would all get to be safe in the end. Luhan and Kris left after they had eaten, Kris in Tao's clothes. He had watched as Yixing had made Kris promise to meet him, promise that he would get there alive. 

"How much does Sehun know?" Yixing said, putting Kris' dog tags in his pocket. Kris had said to leave them to be destroyed but Yixing wanted to keep them, and Tao understood why. It was the same reason his military uniform was still in the house he shared with Sehun, it was something that was important to them. It was part of who they had become separately and together, how their experiences with war had shaped them. 

"Nothing. He knows you have a soulmate but that is it. I thought it was for the best to tell him as little as possible. I did not want him having to choose between me and this country." 

"Do you not trust him?" 

"I trust him Yixing, you know I do - but this is just something else. This is warfare and sometimes I don't know where his limit is." Tao said, moving to clear up the small apartment. It was still dank but as it was abandoned Tao believed that there was not much they could do with it.. "I love him, but he loves this country too and sometimes I fear his love for the country is clouding his judgement. When the tides started to turn in the war a lot of people suddenly disappeared and died, they were native Koreans, they'd not left during the occupation but somehow they were all just missing, some of them were killed - and he did not question it. One of them was one of our neighbours and Sehun just told me that it was a shame they had been imprisoned but that they had acted against the country. Does that sound normal?" 

"You know, you sound like you don't believe in this communist country, Tao." 

"Are you a true communist Yixing? I believe in communism, but this isn't it. Where in our beliefs does it say that we can kill people who agree with us, but not in every single way, or if they support someone else to lead the country? It all feels insane, like I'm living in some sort of dream that is slowly turning into a nightmare... Pak Hon-yong was said to be the favourite to be the leader and he was native, and that is why people don't trust the natives. How long until it is people like me who they decide they can't trust." 

"If you speak like that Tao." Yixing sighed. "You sound like you don't support the party." 

"Do you support Mao Zedong, do you remember the great march where he did basically nothing but took all the glory?" 

"I support communism. He won't be in power forever. I also will never say these things out loud in China - but Tao, you have to be careful here, you aren't one of them and you need to just keep yourself quiet. You need to keep your head down and you need to love and protect Sehun, you really should think about coming home if you're that afraid." 

"You know he isn't going to come back to China." Tao said with a little laugh, "He has a good position in the party and he really feels like he is going to change the world. I want him to be happy." 

"And are you happy?" 

"I'm a Chinese teacher. I have a decent life and my Korean is getting better. I don't feel like a complete outsider anymore, I have friends - although most of them are Chinese or soulmates with someone who is Chinese. Although I do have a really close Soviet friend. He's really fun." 

"The Russians are the safest." Yixing said quietly, "from the talk in the army Kim Il-Sung clearly favours the Soviet forces over the Chinese." 

"Yixing." Tao sighed. "I'm not making friends for political purposes, I'm just trying to build a life." 

"I really hope you are happy here, Tao." Yixing said with a smile. "I will write to you when I can. I can never repay you for giving me the chance to be with Kris for the rest of my life." 

"It's really nothing, Xing." Tao said, pulling his jacket around himself. He knew this was the right thing to do, and there was nothing wrong with doing the right thing, he would not be made to feel guilty for something that he thought was right. "I love Sehun, more than words, I just don't always agree with him." He said with a small soft sigh, before he turned to leave. "Please live an amazing life with Kris." He said as he left, pretty sure that they would never see each other again.

\- ♡ - 

Tao walked home, surprised when he saw Sehun already there, although if Sehun found it to be suspicious he did not say anything.

"We're going to be going back to Pyongyang, TaoTao." Sehun said, with a bright smile. 

"Our old apartment?" 

"No baby, we're not going back there - we're going to the new complex, the one that Jongin and Baekhyun are being placed in, it's for _high up_ officials. See? The party is finally understanding the use of us, the ones of us from Manchuria and China. We are just as important as the Soviets now." 

"It will be nice to be living near them, I know you really like Comrade Kim Jongin." Tao said, and Sehun nodded. "It will be nice to spend more time with Baekhyun, I am sure he will be interested to see just how much my Korean has improved." Sehun grinned, it was something that Tao knew Sehun was proud of, Tao's Korean was close to flawless now and Sehun had always wanted Tao to feel like he fitted in and wanted him to fully integrate into the society that they had found themselves in. Tao had struggled in the beginning, and now he could feel Sehun's desire to show him off, the Chinese soulmate who spoke Korean and fit in. 

"He will be very glad to hear you speak more." Sehun said, pressing a soft kiss to Tao's lips. "And he will be so happy to hear you have a new job, and see how happy you are now." 

"I am. I love you. Home is with you." Tao said quietly. 

"TaoTao..." Sehun said quietly. "Do you wish we were back in China?" If Tao was honest, he would say _yes_ but it was not as simple as that. He would be happier in China, but he did not want to be apart from Sehun, and he knew that Sehun belonged here. He loved him and that made it so he could endure the things that were hard, sometimes people charged him more because of the fact he was Chinese, he always felt like he was being looked at as if he was a traitor. He was not a traitor - although the two people on their way to the Yalu River would say otherwise. Everything was far more complicated than it needed to be. 

"I just want to be with you Sehun - I love you, and I do like it here. It's weird for me to be a teacher - but I do like it. I just want the war to end so we can build our lives and the schools can go back." 

He did actually want to work, but he also just wanted the tension of the war to be over so then they could just get used to living here, and maybe all of the watching would be lessened. Everyone was suspicious of everyone, and Tao hated that, he hated the way that people looked in the marketplace, looking for someone who was betraying their people. He knew there was probably a reward if you found a traitor but he could not imagine turning on the people that you saw every day. Ever since they had been here, there were people who were on the fence - and Tao guessed he could also fit into that category - but to now turn around and tell the police that they should be arrested was something else. Tao was very glad that he was very quiet out in public and did not have many friends that he was unsure of how trustworthy they were.

\- ♡ - 

Moving back to Pyongyang was a bit weird. It had been almost a year since the last time they had lived here. When the bombings had gotten bad Sehun was one of the first people to be evacuated because he was seen as something essential. All the essential members of the politburo were kept as far away from the battles - which Tao was glad for, he did not want anything bad to happen to his partner, but at the same time he did not know if there was a reason why his soulmate should be more important than any of the others.

Tao was surprised when they walked into the new apartment. It was bigger, it still looked plain and there was still the picture of Kim Il-Sung in their living room, but he did like it. He liked the size, although he did find it amusing that they had a second bedroom that had been decorated as if waiting for a child to move in. "Interesting that the party thinks we're having children." 

Sehun laughed, wrapping his arms around Tao and kissing his cheek. "We could adopt? I have heard there are a lot of children who have been left without parents because of the war. Maybe a cute little girl, or a little boy?" 

"We will talk about it after the war ends, Sehun." Tao said with a laugh. He had always known that he would never have biological children, he had come to terms with it, but the idea of taking in a child who had lost everything was very tempting. Why shouldn't they help a child who was a victim of this situation? He wondered if they would be good parents, if they would be able to provide everything for a child who was left the way that most of these children would be. "It's probably good we can't make children. I know they aren't fond of our mix." 

"Tao." Sehun sighed, arms wrapping around Tao tightly. "The Chinese are our allies, our country and your country are friends, brothers in arms and our union is just as blessed as two Koreans." 

"Koreans aren't better than Chinese." 

"I know baby, I know that, and all of our friends know that but sometimes our great country forgets that. You and I will not be questioned - you know I will not allow that. I am lucky to have a soulmate who supports our cause. You're a wonderful communist." 

"I'd rather hear wonderful soulmate." Tao smiled a little as he leant back more against him, turning his head to press a kiss to the Korean man's cheek. "Or I will take most handsome person in the entire country." 

"Hmm... but then what would I be?" Sehun teased a little. 

"Ah... you'd be the soulmate who looks after his partner the best. You really are the best Sehun. I am so lucky to be yours." 

"No Tao, I am the lucky one." Sehun gave him a slow kiss, holding Tao close to him. Tao turned arms wrapping around Sehun's neck as they kissed in the doorway. They were startled by a knock on the door and Tao pouted when Sehun pulled away to go and answer the door. Sehun smiled brightly, "Comrade Kim Jongin." He said jovially, inviting the other in quickly, Baekhyun following behind, holding some rice cakes and what looked like some sort of dumpling. 

"We were so happy to find out that we would be in the same housing block." Jongin said as Tao took the food off Baekhyun and went to put it in their kitchen, starting to boil water to make tea for them all. "We heard that people were being moved around when we returned to Pyongyang so we were very glad to see you here. You have belonged here for a long time." 

"Thank you." Sehun said with a deep bow, taking them to sit down. It did not take long for Tao to make the drinks and join them, Sehun and Jongin already discussing the war effort again. Tao gave Baekhyun a knowing smile, and the Soviet-Korean returned it, but had moved to cuddle a little into Jongin a bit more. 

" _Luchik_ , can we not talk about work?" Baekhyun spoke with a playful pout - Tao knew that despite the facade that Baekhyun was the weaker one, the softer one - that he really was the one in charge between him and Jongin. "You know you two can talk any time about it, but your soulmates are here, and I'm sure Tao doesn't understand like I don't." Tao was pretty sure that was a lie, Baekhyun understood what Jongin was doing, saying and the war efforts, but he guessed it was easier to be the partner who knew nothing - especially when Baekhyun was quite obviously still feeling more Soviet than Korean. 

"He's right Comrade, we should save this for work. I wouldn't want to bore our partners with all of this." Sehun said, moving to take a sip of his tea. "Tao is a teacher at that new elite school - we got his posting through today." Sehun said with pride. 

"Oh, your Korean must have improved." Baekhyun said with a wide smile. "Although, I still say that you should work in the cafe with me. I mean, you understand chai, and the need for honey with it. We think alike." He said before shooting Jongin a look. "He always tells me that I make the tea too sweet. But he's been saying that since we first met and I've been ignoring him since then too." Baekhyun said triumphantly. "No one else has ever complained about my tea and I worked in one of the busiest tea shops in Vladivostok." 

" _Kisa_ , please." Jongin sighed, taking a sip of his own tea and then nodding at Tao. "It's very nice Zitao." 

"Hmph, see how he likes everyone's tea but mine?" Baekhyun teased. "Why did I get stuck with a soulmate like him?" Tao laughed a little, knowing that Baekhyun really did adore Jongin and that his teasing was really just his way of showing him that he cared. "I mean I did get a very handsome soulmate, so I guess something had to be wrong with him, it just happens to be his taste in tea." Tao loved seeing their smiles, it did make him wonder if they were always like this, or if there were underlying issues the same where there was with him and Sehun. Baekhyun was always fun to be around, and maybe that was the difference, Tao guessed that he was a little sullen sometimes and his views against war were quite strong. He lent a little on his soulmate and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You two look as cute as ever." Baekhyun complimented. 

"We were some of the last to be returned to Pyongyang, it was quite frustrating really." Jongin complained, and Tao wished he could understand why Jongin would find it annoying to come back last. When really all it meant was that he was so important that they did not want to risk his life until they were completely certain that the city was safe.

\- ♡ - 

Tao was glad that they were now living in the same apartment block, he felt less lonely - and in all honesty he had missed Baekhyun. Baekhyun was in a weirdly good position, his soulmate held a coveted role and despite Baekhyun's insistence, he was Korean. No one looked at him and thought he was a foreigner unless they'd seen Jongin's wrist. Baekhyun also ran a tea shop where people liked to gossip, so he knew pretty much everything that was going on. Tao knew that men and women liked Baekhyun, he'd seen them flirting with him, although Baekhyun never reciprocated, but Tao was sure that Baekhyun knew how to get what he wanted. Maybe that was how he had so much information.  
He sat in Baekhyun's place, having tea. "I need you to be careful Tao." Baekhyun said without looking up from his drink. "Our dear friend Luhan was taken for questioning."

All of the memories of what they had done together came flooding back to Tao and his heart stopped. What if Luhan spoke, what if he told the authorities that he had smuggled a United Nations soldier out of there? He looked at Baekhyun. "W-what? Why?" Tao felt nervous and was worried that he was going to give away his involvement to Baekhyun, even though he was sure that Baekhyun would never shop him. Baekhyun had always stood by the notion that as outsiders they should protect each other. 

"I don't know exact details, and then when I asked _Luchik_ he just told me I didn't need to worry about it." Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "I'm starting to believe that man thinks I'm stupid. Of course I understand politics, I speak four languages - but sure he's the only one who would understand the politics." It was the first real time that Tao had heard Baekhyun voice his displeasure with his soulmate in such a direct way. He took a calming breath and then looked at Tao and shook his head. "Espionage... I don't think anyone has ever returned home after an espionage questioning." Baekhyun looked at the tea. "And Luhan - well we both know he wasn't the cleanest - " Tao looked at Baekhyun questioningly. Did Baekhyun know what they had done? Did he know about the soldier that had made it across the border because of the pair of them? "I mean, there were people I know he got out with false papers." 

"He had a guy." 

"Oh you think?" Baekhyun laughed a little. "He was very skilled, I saw his work myself." Baekhyun seemed not to care about speaking openly with Tao about it. Baekhyun took a small sip of his drink. "I mean, if he did have a guy - which he did not - he isn't going to tell them. Did you know he used to falsify papers in the war you fought in?" 

"What?" 

"Mhm, he would get Chinese spies into places - but then you would know about how good his work was, right?" 

"I don't know what you're saying." Tao said, staring at Baekhyun, who had raised a brow. 

"Really, Zitao, you think I don't know what you two did without me?" Baekhyun laughed a little. "Please, I knew you two were up to something the second Jongin told me your soulmate had requested a Chinese soldier be sent home. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to work out. But don't worry. I'm far sharper than any of the thought police." Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "God, they bore me." Tao was just looking at Baekhyun, unable to believe what the other was saying, and his attitude towards the police that had just arrested their best friend. "I mean your downfall really was that the UN soldier was cute, people remembered seeing him." 

"Did you see him?" 

"No, but I did overhear some people talking about it in the tea shop. Apparently he was really cute. I assume the soulmate of your soldier friend - unless you're in the market of cheating, in which case, I would recommend someone less memorable and also a communist." Baekhyun shrugged. "Not because I have a problem with the West but rather because it's just safer, and I guess if you were dating another communist you could argue it was for the collective or something." 

"I'm not cheating on Sehun." Tao said firmly, "I would never, even though he's not exactly been the greatest soulmate recently." 

"It seems like him and _Luchik_ went to the same school, but Jongin, he does mean well. I just wish he would tell me more of what was going on." 

"It's the same for me, Sehun doesn't really tell me what is going on. I mean I get it, I know he didn't want to tell me about the war because we have completely opposing opinions but still. We're supposed to be a team." 

"And is that why you helped a United Nations soldier?" Baekhyun said with a little smirk. "God I wish you'd found this side of you before the war, me, you and Luhan would have made a really cute team - and I could have given you a better way to get that guy out of the country." 

"N-No... I didn't do it to hurt Sehun. I actually almost didn't do it because of Sehun." Tao knew that logically he should not tell anyone - not even Baekhyun - what he did with Luhan. Even though the other knew, there was no reason to give him more details, realistically he could have been the one to report Luhan. However, with Baekhyun's own words and his attitude he just felt like he could trust him and that really, they were going to be in this together either way. Both of them had been connected to Luhan, but they were both with high ranking party officials, whilst Minseok was just an engineer. 

"Don't worry, part of why I do this is to piss Jongin off." Baekhyun shrugged. "But mostly I do it because it's the right thing to do, because most of the people who came to me needed help and I would never want anyone to be suffering for our ease of life." Baekhyun sighed, and Tao could see it in the other’s face, that he was unhappy here - that he didn't believe in the country. He wondered if Jongin knew of his soulmate's feelings, or if Baekhyun kept them hidden beneath the rest of him. Baekhyun knew how to get what he wanted, and Tao was sure he was accomplished in many skills. 

"The soldier whose soulmate he was, was the reason I made it back home to Sehun. I owed him my life, and he deserved a chance to have a happy life with his soulmate." Tao said with a small smile. "I knew that if it was the other way around that I would beg for someone to help Sehun be with me, that I would do whatever it took to have him by my side, and I could not just stand by and watch them be separated, possibly for the rest of both of their lives. The soldier was technically Chinese anyway, so I thought there would be no harm in doing it." At that Baekhyun raised a brow. "No, I knew there would be harm, but I thought that he would blend in." 

"It was the right thing Tao." Baekhyun said quietly. "But don't tell anyone else, not even Sehun." 

"I won't." 

"Luhan won't tell anyone about us, but we still need to be careful." Baekhyun got up and went to put their cups in the sink. "We have to look out for each other, okay?" 

"Always." Tao said with a small nod.

\- ♡ - 

That night his mind could not stop thinking about Luhan, he wondered how he had gotten caught out - and he hoped that he was able to talk his way out of it, but he was pretty sure that he was not going to be able to. Sehun was home for once, although he did say that soon he would have to spend a few nights away at the peace talks with the United Nations.

"Tao, is everything alright?" Sehun said as they sat together with their tea, Tao curled up against his soulmate. 

"Do you remember Minseok and Luhan?" Tao said quietly. 

"Mhm, Minseok is an engineer, right?" 

"Yeah - Luhan got taken for questioning, and I was just worried about him." Tao said wrapping an arm around Sehun tighter. He was afraid that someone knew what he had done too and would report him. He wanted to be reassured by the man he loved but from Sehun's reaction, the other had known and not told him. Tao bit his lip to try to not get upset with his soulmate, this was making him feel more uneasy. His own soulmate was withholding things from him and he was sure there was no decent reason for it. He was sure it was for some ridiculously patriotic reason. "You knew my friend was arrested and you didn't tell me?" 

"Tao, please." Sehun said quietly, "I know how you get, you think that this country is against you for being Chinese, and it really isn't like that, we can't just go around arresting people who aren't from North Korea - I mean we even have some Japanese citizens here too." 

"And they're treated terribly!" Tao glared at his soulmate. "One of my best friends got arrested and you didn't tell me." 

"Tao, he committed crimes against the country, I know he was your friend but it doesn't change what he did and we just want to get to the bottom of it all." Sehun said softly, pulling Tao back against him. "Don't worry about it, you have done nothing wrong." Except that was the problem - he had done something wrong. Although he would stand by it being the right thing to do, he had gone against the country that his soulmate was working so hard to build and yet he did not feel guilty. He was scared of getting caught, but not because he felt like he had done a criminal act. It was possible to work outside the law and still be doing the right thing, which had been an alien notion to Tao until now. 

He had always been aware that helping Kris get out of the country was illegal but he had not once felt guilty about it. The only thing that he felt guilty about was that Luhan had gotten caught and was being punished for it. He felt guilty about lying to Sehun about it, but really what was he supposed to do, he was pretty sure that if he got arrested Sehun would not be on his side.

\- ♡ - 

He sat in Baekhyun's tea shop listening to the chatter. "Did you hear they executed a traitor?" someone from behind him said. He listened to the women gossiping about the crime that the other could have committed and Tao couldn't help himself but worry about Luhan, he hoped the other was not in any pain and that there was a possibility he would be able to get out of prison soon. Sehun had been a dead end - he was not going to tell Tao any more information about Sehun and Jongin had not told Baekhyun anything, so Tao was left having to work it out for himself. It was hard to imagine anything bad happening to Luhan but still.

"Heard they were working for the other side. It's what they deserve if they think they can go against our country." One of them sneered and Tao wanted to turn around and say something. There were plenty of people who were being questioned or suspected that had not done anything wrong. Luhan might have been helping people get out of the country, but if they were Chinese or Russians, how was that working against the country, it was still helping communists, there was nothing wrong with wanting to leave a place because it was not what you had thought it was. Things like this were why Tao knew he would never feel at home here, he would never feel safe here but the hard part was that he had to get Sehun to leave, he had to get Sehun to _want _to leave.__

__Tao walked to the market, maybe if he made something nice for Sehun they could talk about it all, and maybe they would be able to come to some sort of agreement. Maybe they could move back to China, at least for a little bit so they could wait until the political field leveled out and everything went back to some sort of normal. Tao just wanted them to be safe, and he knew that if he could get Sehun to just see that maybe they needed a break that he would be able to talk to him clearly and they would be able to see eye to eye again. Tao knew that Sehun really did believe in the country, but at the same time, they were soulmates and that really had to mean something in the end. Tao just needed to think of a way to bring it up, he needed to think of how to talk to Sehun about it without giving him an ultimatum._ _

__Tao was surprised when he saw Minseok, he had been avoiding him since Sehun had told him what had happened to Luhan. Minseok moved to stand in front of him and Tao stared at him, "Comrade." He greeted, nodding a little._ _

__"Zitao." Minseok said quietly. "Did you hear what happened to Luhan?"_ _

__"I heard he was questioned." Tao said quietly. Instead of answering Minseok moved to lift his sleeve, and Tao stared at the faded out, almost burnt marks. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."_ _

__"I know he was doing something with you."_ _

__"I'm not a spy. I didn't shop him."_ _

__"I'm not saying you did. But you need to be careful, You aren't from here." Minseok said quietly._ _

__"Do you need anything?"_ _

__"Nothing you could get me." Minseok said quietly. Tao knew that the look in his eyes would haunt him forever. "They won't let me bury him. I love him, and they took him from me and won't even give him back."_ _


	3. Sehun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Glossary**
> 
> Historical Figures  
> Peng Duhuai - Chinese Military Leader for the Korean War
> 
> Terms  
> Juche - meaning self-reliance. The official ideology of North Korea, it's the idea that that by becoming self-reliant and strong, a nation can achieve true socialism  
> Kisa - kitten, term of endearment  
> Luchik - derivative of sun ray, term of endearment  
> Panmunjon - The peace village inside the DMZ  
> Politburo - the principal policy making committee of a communist party.

Sehun had only just gotten into their apartment when Tao confronted him. "We need to leave." 

"Zitao, please." 

"I saw Minseok today." 

"Ah - this is about Luhan." Sehun said looking at his soulmate, Tao looking at his wrist, gently tracing over their names. "He was a traitor. He was feeding information back to the Chinese." 

"You really believe that?" Tao said, narrowing his eyes. "Do you know what happens to the soulmarks when someone kills your soulmate?" 

"Zitao. Let's not be dramatic." 

"They will arrest me if we stay," Tao said,looking at him, "for the crime of being Chinese." 

"No, they won't. You're not a traitor to our country." Sehun said, stepping closer to Tao and reaching out to give his hand a soft squeeze. "I love you baby, nothing bad is going to happen." 

"They're talking about shutting the crossing over the Yalu river, we need to leave." 

"My country is finally free. Why would I leave? " 

"Because you love me." Tao breathed out. "Because if you don't I will die." Sehun looked at him and shook his head. "Was it to do with Yixing, because we were involved." 

"Different." Sehun said, "He was not just helping Yixing, it was something different. You need to calm down, you've done nothing wrong - you just helped Yixing get sent home, he has suffered enough, you know his family endured a lot during the war against the Japanese and then now, we just wanted him to get home safely." Sehun said, looking at Tao and smiled, pressing a quick kiss to Tao's cheek. "I love you. You have nothing to worry about, no one is even interested in you." Tao just looked at him and shook his head going into the bedroom and slamming the door. Sehun was starting to wonder if it was possible for them to talk anymore without fighting like this. 

Things had been difficult since the start of the Korean War, Sehun had known that Tao would have been unhappy about the situation but it was starting to feel like Tao hated him now. That maybe he'd severed their bond somehow, he'd ruined his relationship with his soulmate. Sehun moved to go to their bedroom and found Tao just sat on the floor against their wardrobe. Sehun moved to sit next to him. 

"Huang. Zi. Tao." He said quietly, hoping that Tao would still do it with him, would still love him, and believe in him. 

"Wu. Shi. Xun." Tao said quietly. 

"Tao." Sehun did not know what was the right thing to say, he knew he had made mistakes, and they were causing Tao to feel like he was not loved, or cherished. Sehun knew that deep down he had felt the other pulling away from him, putting up with things because he knew that Sehun loved him. Sehun pressed a soft kiss to Tao's cheek. "The war is going to be over soon, and I will take a holiday and maybe we could go back to China for a week or two, I know you're missing home and it might make you feel more comfortable." 

"Okay." Tao said quietly. When did it become so hard to talk to each other? Had Sehun really let it get this bad? He knew he couldn't let this carry on. Tao was a vibrant person who was dulling from the pain that Sehun had made him endure. 

"Do you still love me?" Sehun asked softly, as if Tao would be easily startled. 

"Yes" Tao was still quiet, still not looking at him. 

"I love you too. I'm sorry that it has been difficult lately. I want to be better for you." Sehun was not sure how to fix it but he knew he had to. "I am sorry about your friend but I will never let anything happen to you." Sehun knew it would take time but he wished Tao could see his heart. Tao allowed himself to be moved into a hug and Sehun held him tight. 

"I've just felt so alone." Tao said and Sehun felt his heart break. He'd left his soulmate feeling lonely and isolated in a country where really he had very few people and did not feel like he could trust anyone. Sehun held him tighter against him. "I don't want to be in love alone Sehun." 

"You're not alone Tao, I am here. I'm sorry I haven't been but I promise you're not as alone as you feel. You always have me." Sehun kept his soulmate wrapped up against him. He did not know how he could fix this - because it felt like fixing it might be impossible but he knew he had to try. He loved Tao with all of his being, not just because they were soulmates but because they were meant to be regardless. Sehun was sure that in a world without soulmates he would have picked Tao. He would always have chosen Tao. 

Sehun had spent the whole evening with Tao talking and trying to understand where they had gone wrong, he woke up early to get to work and Tao was still asleep in the bed. Sehun got up carefully, he washed up and got ready for his day. He looked over at his still sleeping soulmate, trying to decide if he should wake him. He knew that Tao did not start work until the next week, but he wasn't sure if the other wanted to be up when he was. He made the choice to let Tao sleep, turning the rice cooker on and leaving a note that he'd made enough breakfast for both of them, so Tao could eat when he got up. Sehun went into work, trying not to think too much about the man who was still asleep in their apartment. He hated that more mornings had not been like this, he had let himself get swept up in all of this and left Tao behind. 

Jongin was already in the building and gave Sehun a small smile as he walked over. "You didn't hear this from me, but you will part of our delegation to Panmunjon." Sehun looked at Jongin, he was going to be sent to the peace talks? This was the kind of job that would secure his position in the party. "You're going to leave tomorrow." 

"I can't. I have Zitao at home." 

"Your soulmate speaks Korean quite fluently now, and if he needs anything, Baekhyun and I are close by." Sehun looked at Jongin, and did not know if he should be honest with his friend about his relationship. He was sure that Jongin and Baekhyun were perfect in every way and his own struggles would probably be some huge failure on his part. "Is Tao okay?" 

"Yes, it's not that. It's just, our bond hasn't been that strong as of late." Sehun looked away from Jongin, "He told me that he felt alone in our soul bond." 

"After you sort out the agreement, you two can go on a vacation together, you're going to be ending the war to make his life safer and better. Baekhyun - well you've met my soulmate. I adore him, honestly I do, but every so often he pushes back against me and I get frustrated with him too sometimes. It's normal for soulmates to feel this way, you and Tao have been together since you were teenagers, you two will be fine." 

"I don't want to lose him." Sehun said and Jongin put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Honestly, if Baekhyun hasn't left me yet, you are going to be completely fine with Tao." Jongin gave Sehun a smile as if he knew what was going on. Had Tao told Baekhyun that he was unhappy? Had Baekhyun told Tao to keep trying to make it work? Sehun honestly did not know and he was worried about it all. "Look, tonight, treat Tao, if you really are that worried about him leaving you. Make him something he loves to eat and treat him like the prince you clearly think he is. Baek loves Knish - I honestly had to look all over the city to find someone who made them." 

"I don't think one meal can make up for this war." 

"Sehun." Jongin said quietly, taking Sehun to sit next to him at the side of the room on a bench. "The war?" 

"He's felt like we've been falling apart since the war started." Sehun looked away from his friend, he was technically the one who should be helping the other, he was the one who had been with his soulmate longer. Jongin sighed a little, "I know it's so stupid. I should have been looking after him better, I should have seen how unhappy he was." Sehun really felt like he was the worst partner in the world, he had let his partner get hurt and he had just not noticed. That was not strictly true either, he had noticed. He had known that things were becoming strained between the two of them but he had found it difficult to talk to Tao about it. He had failed to listen when Tao was trying to open up to him about their problems and now he felt like nothing could fix them. 

"That's almost three years Sehun." 

"I know." Sehun just kept looking away from his friend, this was the most embarrassing thing he'd ever had to admit. It was beyond shameful to be a soulmate who had failed to keep their soulmate happy and in love with him. He took a slow breath, looking at Jongin finally. "I just thought everything would be fixed. I thought it was a shallow problem and we were soulmates so deep down we would just come back together." 

"I get it, Baek and I have had our struggles, but we worked it out together. You know when I came back from the war and moved us here Baekhyun was very upset with me. He was barely talking to me because of the war and then I moved him to a country he felt no connection with." Jongin sighed, "I know what it is like to feel like you have messed up with your soulmate but I promise that nothing is very too far gone, even if Tao seems so far away." 

"He is far away." Sehun sighed. "I just don't know if I can bring him back to me." 

"Sehun, he's here with you. If he wanted to give up on you two he would have gone back to China, he obviously thinks that you two are worth fighting for, so you should let him know how much effort you want to put into fixing you two, and as long as you're sincere your soulmate will see your efforts, and you can work together."

\- ♡ - 

Sehun knew he had to, he was unable to focus in the meetings but he agreed to take the place at the peace talks in Panmunjom, not that it was really going to be a choice in the end. He was going to have ended up going whether he wanted to or not. 

He walked around the markets looking for ingredients, he walked in and smiled when he saw Tao had been planning lessons for his resumption of work the following week. If he was going to be away he was glad the other would be at least occupied. "I was thinking we could make Jianbing together." Sehun said holding up the bag, when they were back in Manchuria, now China, they had made food together quite often but as of late it had felt like Tao did pretty much of the cooking without Sehun really contributing. Tao looked at him from the table and nodded. Sehun put the ingredients down and walked over to his soulmate. "I do know it's normally breakfast food but I couldn't think of anything I missed more from where we come from." He said pressing a quick kiss to Tao's lips, which was met by the other. 

"You used to eat them most mornings when we were in school." Tao said softly, but still more confident than the night prior where he'd been on the floor, probably debating what he would take from their shared lives back to China. Tao hummed a little. "Did you get the ingredients for guozi?" 

"You know I did." Sehun said with a laugh. "I know how much you love them in your jianbing." Sehun loved seeing the smile that spread across the other's face. "And you used to eat them every morning too." 

"Only because you brought me one!" Tao said with a teasing shove, getting up to go inspect the ingredients. He smiled as he began getting everything they would need for dinner out. Tao looked at Sehun and then the food. "What is it that you are going to tell me? Are we moving again?" 

"No Tao, we're not moving, this is our home. If you want it to be." 

"Will you consider moving back to China?" Tao asked, "I'm not asking for a definite, just that you will think about it, about us going back. I know you love it here, but if things get less safe for me" 

"Yes." Sehun said quickly. "I will move with you back to China if that is the best way to keep you safe, but I'd like to keep trying to make it work here. When the war is over things will settle down and you'll be able to see what our life is going to be like here. We could really make a good go of it here Tao." Sehun said coming over and wrapping an arm around Tao's waist, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "But I love you, I love you with all of my heart, and if we cannot live here because you don't feel safe, and because our future would be better out there in China we will leave. I will do what is best for our family." Sehun said quietly, kissing Tao's cheek again. 

"Okay. As long as you will consider it." Tao was quiet for a bit as he began organising the ingredients. "I know that you have something - I know you're avoiding telling me something. We've known each other most of our lives." 

"I know, I just - I want us to be okay Tao." Sehun said quietly. "I _really_ want us to be okay." 

"We will be okay." Tao said, turning to look at him, gently cupping Sehun's cheek. "We don't have to make jianbing every day. I just felt so alone and I felt like you didn't understand that I feel uncomfortable here because there seems to be a lot of resentment towards people like me. I know I should have told you about these things before they got this bad, but I did not want you to feel any stress from me at home when you were working hard. They were hurting you with all those hours, and I love you too much to add anything more on you." Tao took a slow breath, looking back at the food. "It won't go back to how it was over night, but it will go back to before if we both want it to, if we want to fix this, we can do it." 

"I really want to fix it Tao." Sehun said quickly. "I am so sorry that I let it get this bad without doing anything to stop it." 

"You're my soulmate." Tao said softly. "No matter what." 

"I'm going to Panmunjom." 

"I know." Tao said quietly, "Baekhyun told me when he came over today. He knows everything, but apparently an official asked Jongin to put someone forward who would be able to help ease the communications, so it had to be someone who spoke Korean and Chinese." 

Sehun nodded, moving with Tao to start making the food. "Once the peace talks are over, we can just start relaxing and living our lives." Sehun really did think that the peace talks would ease everything in the country and would take the pressure out of the situation. He did not want any harm to come to Tao but he could feel the anti foreign sentiment, he heard whispers, he saw the way people looked at his soul mark sometimes. The way they eyed the hanzi, he knew that Tao must feel it worse but Sehun really did truly believe that this country was going to be something great, and that it really would be a place that they would want to live in. He really did think that he would be able to make a better world for him and Tao to grow old together in, it just took some hard work when they were younger. 

"I will also make sure that it is put forward that the Chinese are allies, our allies who we are very grateful to for helping us. Someone needs to say it, but there is no way I will let the Chinese contribution go unsaid, and you and the other Chinese people who live in this country, or are married to someone who is Korean deserve to feel safe." 

Tao nodded, and Sehun hoped that the man really did understand him and what he was trying to do. He wanted to give Tao everything in this life, that was why he could not let it go. He loved Tao more than words could say and yet there was so much that he was unsure Tao could feel.

\- ♡ -

After they ate dinner, Sehun began packing for his trip down to the border, he had no idea what was going to happen when he got there, what would the United Nations have to say to them when they got there, and how would it all change everything. Could they really achieve an agreement? Sehun felt weird as he packed, weird about the whole idea of going away just after he was trying to be with his soulmate more. He knew that Tao understood, the Chinese man was sat on the bed watching him, helping him fold some of the clothes. 

"Do you know who else they're sending?" Tao asked, and Sehun shook his head. 

"I assume Jongin will be there, as he will have to write Kim Il-Sung's speech, so maybe one of the nights we're away you could show Baekhyun how good Manchurian food is. We always eat at his place and he always makes Russian. You could do hot and sour soup." 

"You just want there to be leftovers." Tao teased, and things felt slightly easier, but Sehun could still feel their distance under the surface. "Don't you worry about me, I have had practice at night with you in the war room." Sehun felt a pang of guilt from that statement, that it was something that his soulmate was used to. It was supposed to ache to be apart from your soulmate - and even Sehun would admit that he had stopped noticing it, they had been working so much that no one had said anything or paid attention to their own needs and their own thoughts. Tao looked at Sehun as if trying to understand what he was thinking. "I will miss you." Tao said, as if he knew that was what Sehun needed to hear. 

"I will do my best to get a resolution quickly."

"The last three years have been a blur, maybe it is from you not being around, but I cannot really separate the three years of this war. I don't want to go back to that, so please can you find peace and then come home to me?" Tao said delicately.

Sehun gave him a nod and they went back to talking and packing. It was hard to imagine how he had let this all go, how had he just let this get so bad? But now he had something to return to, someone who was willing to give him another chance even though he did not really deserve it.

\- ♡ -

The journey to Panmunjom was longer than Sehun had expected it to be. He was a little apprehensive about what the peace talks were going to entail. He wondered what they were going to be about really, what was there to discuss? If both sides wanted to end the war how was there that much to talk about? 

Deep down he knew that things were going to be complicated. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea viewed this as a civil war, but he knew that those in the Republic of Korea and the United Nations did not see it that way. The Geneva conventions had been signed in 1949, the year prior to the war, and yet despite both sides promising to uphold them it had very quickly dissolved into chaos. 

Sehun was not proud of how his country had acted, it was not honourable, but at the same time the other countries involved had _actually_ signed the conventions. They should have led by example, but in the end everyone was just as bad as each other, Sehun wondered what would be said about them in the future, what would be said about this war. About the Americans use of chemical weapons, the blanket bombing of Pyongyang, the suffering that Korean people on both sides had gone through for three years to end up here again. 

Sehun was also very aware that neither Korean leader wanted to come to an agreement, but he had no choice, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China had made it very clear that they were not going to keep participating in this war and had grown tired of it. Sehun was tired of it all too, Tao had been right when he said this war was pointless, they were standing at the same point, as if the past three years had been for nothing. It made him feel even worse, as if he had risked his relationship with his soulmate and caused so much pain for him for no real reason. 

He had to be the worst soulmate in the history of soulmates. He just knew he was lucky that Tao was willing to make it work, they were going to fix it and he knew that but it still hurt to know that really it was all his fault and that there was nothing he could do to change that. He made a mental note to apologise to Tao for doing this to him, for wasting his time and putting him through so much with this war. 

The talks were not fruitful, and when Sehun returned back to his home, he felt relieved that Tao was home, he knew the other would not leave without telling him, but he was so tired of arguing. He just wanted to be in the arms of the other man - and Tao was his soulmate, he was so in sync with him and the man just pulled him down to the sofa and held him close. He pressed a soft kiss to Sehun's temple and then just let him rest there. "Are you going to have to go back?" 

"Yes." Sehun answered, still lying against Tao and making no move to change that. He just wanted to be with him, he felt comforted. "I... it's just difficult, I am there mostly to translate between the Chinese and our nation, but there is an expectation of mediation but it is not really fair to me. I am not a mediator. I am torn between the sides."

"Torn how?" 

"You're Chinese Tao, and we grew up there, how can I tell them the needs they feel are wrong? We are of the same cultural background and I do love where we grew up but then the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is my people, how can I tell my people that they are wrong? We are trying to forge a new nation and it is not our fault that people are not willing to give us our space to carve our lives and nation." Sehun sighed. "And the Chinese appear to want to have a say in our nation." 

"China has been a country longer." Tao offered, and Sehun tried his best not to look too annoyed with his soulmate. He knew it was hard for Tao to understand, but they did not want any help and they did not need anyone telling them what they could and could not do. Sehun hummed a little, trying not to get defensive, he knew that Tao was just trying to explain and help him understand. 

"I know, but after all the years of the Japanese controlling everything we did, we just want to be ourselves again." Sehun sighed a little, cuddling closer to Tao - he was not going to let this become a fight. "I understand why China wants to help us, but we really don't want anyone else involved anymore." 

"I get it." Tao said with a small smile that Sehun could hear. This felt like a more productive conversation than one they had had in years. "But I think it's hard to let someone go if you think you can help." 

"True, but one day you have to let people try for themselves." Sehun said shifting slightly, so he could kiss his soulmate. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too." Tao said with a smile, "But you're home now, even if you have to go again." Tao gave him a warm look and Sehun really felt more at home than he had for a long time. It was true, in the end, that his how was always going to be with Tao. He moved to kiss his soulmate, shifting into Tao's lap as he did so. He kissed him in a way that they had not kissed for so long, they had been falling apart and now he felt so much better, things were mending and he felt more complete with Tao and him being on the same page. Tao's arms around his waist were grounding, pulling him closer to him. 

"Tao" Sehun breathed out against the other's lips, kissing him again deeper this time, wanting to show him how much he loved him, how sorry he was that they had fallen apart and he felt more whole than he had for a long time. He smiled when the Chinese man pulled him a little closer. Sehun pulled back to catch his breath and gave Tao a small smile, leaning in to give him softer kisses. Tao just kept his arms close around him, Sehun felt safe like this - this was how he was supposed to be. They were soulmates, two halves of a whole and their discord had been causing pain that Sehun had been too blind to see. They just really needed to get back to each other. 

Sehun had been working for months on strengthening him and Tao's bond, they were more in sync but with that came the bigger issues of Tao wanting to go back to China, Tao had brought it up more than once and Sehun had turned him down - Tao just needed to give it more of a chance, they were going to be okay. He just needed Tao to give him a chance to prove him right, he needed Tao to understand that things might not be perfect now but maybe in the future they would be living a better life than either of them could have ever imagined. He could also concede that he understood Tao's point, that leaving to go back to something they knew could be the better choice, but he just wanted to make sure that they had done everything they could.

\- ♡ -

When the news of Stalin's death hit North Korea in March, Sehun felt a renewed sense of hope, maybe they could resolve this issue, end the war and then just go about living their lives, he knew it was hard for all of the negotiators - as he was having to act as a go-between for the Chinese - but with a new leader in the Soviet camp it could be easier to unify the three countries into some sort of an agreement to then present to the United Nations. 

Sehun did dislike the disharmony that they were showing in front of the other countries. They were all communists, and yet it appeared that some differences were still insurmountable. He wished that they could all put aside their ulterior motives, and their ideas of what could become of the country but rather focus on what they could all do together. He wanted to make the world a better place and he just wanted there to be a Democratic People's Republic of Korea after all of this. He wanted to be able to call a place home and he wanted to be able to grow old with his soulmate, maybe adopt a child - there were many orphans now because of the war and he knew that him and Tao had more than enough love to give, despite the fact they were still working on coming together after everything that had happened in the previous three years of the war. 

Sehun was surprised when it took until the July of that year before the peace talks were properly resumed. The Soviet Union had called for a swift end to the fighting and declared that a resolution should be found as quickly as possible. Tao seemed to be more hopeful with the idea that maybe all of this would finally be behind them and that everything could be resolved. Sehun was packing to go to Panmunjon again, he somehow felt like these talks would be different. 

Tao was sat on the bed watching him, Sehun looked over and smiled at him. "What's that face for?" Sehun said playfully as he folded his clothes. 

"Nothing, I am just looking at my master negotiator." 

"I wouldn't call myself that." Sehun said, laughing more, and moving to kiss Tao quickly before moving back quickly to pack. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible so he could just spend the rest of his evening with Tao. "I am going to miss you Tao." 

"Mhm, me too, you know since we've been... doing more for us, it's gone back to being hard to be apart again. I mean it was always difficult, but now it is... just worse." Tao said softly, shifting to gently run his hands through Sehun's hair. "I am glad that it hurts like this." 

"Me too." Sehun said with a little grin. "It's nice to feel our bond like that. I hated how dulled it had gotten." Tao nodded, hand still running through Sehun's hair still. "I know it hurts, but it means that I have something amazing to come back to. Thank you for forgiving me for not realising what you needed from me earlier." 

"I should have told you earlier." Tao said with a small look that told Sehun that it was really in the past for Tao. "I let my feelings get hurt and didn't tell you anything about it. I should have told you quicker, I should have made it easier for you to understand my heart too." 

"I love you Tao." 

"I love you too. Wu. Shi. Xun." 

"Huang. Zi. Tao" Sehun said quietly, hand tracing over Tao's soul mark. He knew that he wanted to come home from this trip and to be able to tell Tao something good. He wanted to be able to tell him that everything was going to be okay from now on - because maybe that would stop Tao from asking to leave again, maybe he would finally get to see the country that Democratic People's Republic of Korea was meant to be. He loved this country, he had always loved this place - it was his home, his birthplace.

\- ♡ -

Sehun woke up without Tao, leaving him with a little note and going to get in the car. He gave Jongin a little smile, Jongin looked tired, and he knew that as of late Jongin was stressed about Baekhyun - he was very concerned about his soulmate but would never explain to Sehun, which only made the other man wonder what it was that Baekhyun was doing. 

He knew that Baekhyun had struggled to adjust to life in Pyongyang, and he had heard from Tao that Baekhyun's cafe was the place to go if you wanted to know anything about the city. Sehun wondered if that meant that Baekhyun was involved in something that would be a crime - but he did not want to know, and just that thought made him worry about what Tao did when he was not around. 

Would Tao tell him if he was doing anything that could get him in trouble? Sehun had been so sure in the past, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. Maybe when they'd been falling apart Tao had gotten mixed up with whatever was stressing Jongin out. 

Jongin looked at Sehun and gave him a small smile. He wondered what exactly it could be though, because he knew Baekhyun - Baekhyun was not a bad person so there is no way that he was doing something actively against the country. But if he was not doing something against the country, why would Jongin be so worried? It was not as if Jongin did not have enough status to make people overlook the actions of Baekhyun. Sehun was sure that people even acted as if Jongin's soulmark was in Hangul and not Cyrillic. 

His concerns were pushed aside when they were both handed a file, looking through the list of people who would be there, Jongin's eyes flickered to Sehun's. "There are no Soviets on the list, not even Shtykov." 

"I heard they had changed everything around after the death of Stalin." 

"Yes, but I still expected the negotiators to be the same - it is a little more difficult when you don't know the people to establish a rapport fast enough to explain our side and not end up getting shouted at." 

"I understand." 

"You've been with Peng Dehuai since the Chinese first got involved, so I am sure you two have a very good rapport - and you come from China too." 

"Hunan is nowhere near where Manchauria was." Sehun said looking over at Jongin. "You know he doesn't really like anyone, and I owe him anyway - he helped me out when Tao was looking to see if his friend was okay. You think negotiating with someone who knows where my soulmate's best friend lives is easy?" 

"Okay, yeah, I can see that that is hard." Jongin sighed, and Sehun could practically feel the stress radiating off Jongin. "I think Nam Il will sign something this round of talks. We have to really do something to end this war, it is not something that we are capable of sustaining anymore and I'm not sure that it is even possible for us to get a better deal than the one we are going to be looking at this round." 

"If Harrison is reasonable, maybe." Sehun conceded, he looked over the sheet and sighed, "from what I know the Chinese are not so happy about the idea of signing but also they are looking toward reunifying with Taiwan... so we might be able to get them to sign." 

"We better, I don't want to keep doing this, it is really taking a toll on me and Baekhyun to be straining our bond like this." Jongin said quietly. "He gets so antsy when he's left alone, and I'm never quite sure what he's up to when I'm not around." 

"Baekhyun would never cheat on you." 

"I know that, he's just... restless and you've met him, always getting involved in things that he's not supposed to. When we lived in Vladivostok he was a little hell raiser. I love the man but honestly he can really get himself into trouble." Jongin laughed a little. "He doesn't listen to anyone either, so I tell him to stay out of trouble and he just causes more." Jongin looked back at the papers. "He is speaking less Korean at home than before." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, he says we can't make him forget where he comes from." Jongin sighed, "I love him, but he is just as Korean as I am. We are Koreans, he was just born in Vladivostok and I was born in Pyongyang, but we are what we are and we are a team but sometimes he seems to forget that." 

Jongin sounded tired, as if this was a conversation that he had had many times. It also made Sehun think that it was not just him and Tao that the war had taken a toll on and that the strain on Jongin and Baekhyun's relationship was not directly the pain from the soulbond that they shared but rather from the strain that can come from two people who have different opinions and being apart for so much time. "I know he loves me, but sometimes he's so frustrating." 

"Tao is like that too. I love him to the ends of the world - but over the three years of the war, Tao and I sort of fell apart and we've been working it out since before our first trip down here this year. It's been months of work but we are doing great. It's almost back to where we used to be - and that is honestly the best feeling. Maybe after this you should take Baekhyun back to Vladivostok for a bit and give him a bit of a break if he is missing home." 

"I know I told you to take a trip to China with Tao, but if I take Baekhyun to Vladivostok he is never going to come back home with me. He misses his home too much. I feel like I'm being selfish keeping him here, when he really longs to be back there - but this is _our_ country." 

"I get that feeling." Sehun sighed, he had wondered many times if he was being selfish by choosing to stay here and repetitively saying no to Tao's requests to go back to China. 

He did love where they had grown up, but being here made him feel like he finally had a purpose. He was meant to make his country into something great - but he did wonder if Tao believed in him and believed that he was going to be able to make something of himself and of their lives. They eventually fell quiet, Sehun just looked out of the window looking at the landscape, he could not help but think the country was beautiful, even though it had been ravaged by bombings, it was still beautiful. He loved his country and there was nothing that could be said to change that. 

He could not even imagine a life where he had not returned to see his nation rising like a phoenix from the ashes that the Japanese had left behind. Sehun felt a sense of pride when he thought about all of the years that his people had been repressed and shut down, all the years that they had had to fight for who they were and what they wanted to be. He knew that many people of the world would have crumbled - every aspect of their Koreanness had been outlawed - their language, their culture, even their names had been outlawed. Many of the people had been given Japanese names, even Sehun himself had a Japanese name - he had never told anyone what his original legal name was. Satoshi, a name he had never felt connected to. 

As soon as his parents left the country they reverted back to their Korean names. Sehun had never really thought of how much strength it took the Korean people to hold onto all aspects of who they were when everything in the society was set up to try to force them to let go of it all. He loved his people and he knew that their collective drive and determination to retain their culture, history and language would be what would enable them to make their country beyond strong - they were going to make a country so strong that no one could ever do what the Japanese had done to them again. 

He looked over at Jongin and for the first time he wondered what the others name was. He wondered if Jongin spoke Japanese fluently - he had questions about how the other got through the occupation but they were questions that would never be answered. It was not something that people spoke of, no one wanted to talk about those experiences, although part of Sehun wondered if he should have told Tao about it. Tao had also lived through the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, it was something that they could relate to, but it had been different in Manchuria, it had been less tightly controlled. Tao had gotten to retain his name and language and sometimes Sehun felt like there was a gap between them that could never be filled in. They would never have the same experience but maybe he should just tell Tao about all the things that weighed on his mind like this.

\- ♡ -

The talks went a lot better than Sehun had thought it would, with everyone but the South Koreans signing the armistice agreement. It was something at least, everyone was going to stop the war and leave the division of the country where it was. Sehun was not sure how it would all work out in the end, he was sure that some of the people in their country - especially those who had suffered the most during the war were going to be disappointed by the peace treaty - but not him. He was glad that this was all finally over. 

He just wanted to get home to his partner, he just could not wait to have Tao in his arms. The ride home was equally quiet, Jongin had fallen asleep against the window and Sehun had to wake him up when they got back to their apartment block. They parted and Sehun walked into his apartment to find Tao sat at the table grading work by his students. 

Tao instantly put his pen down and got up, running to wrap his arms around the other. Sehun pulled him in for a kiss. He couldn't believe how happy he felt, everything felt like it was falling into place, he was here with Tao and everything was going to be okay. There was going to be an armistice. "Did it go well?" Tao asked between Sehun's excited kisses. "You seem excited." He said with a laugh. 

Sehun kissed him again. "It's over." he breathed, "it's over. We signed an armistice." Sehun said kissing the man even harder, he could not help himself, everything was just falling into place. Tao was moving with him easily, they moved back towards their room, Tao's arms around Sehun, both of them overwhelmed, it felt so right to be here in these arms. 

He could not believe that everything felt perfect, the pain he'd felt separated from Tao had now become the happiness of the other kissing him like this, like they used to before everything had fallen apart. Sehun could not remember the last time they had been like this, like kids who just needed to touch each other. They moved through stripping each other down, they could not get each other out of their clothes fast enough, and soon Sehun found himself on the bed, Tao naked underneath him, looking up at him as if under a haze. 

Sehun closed the gap and kissed him again harder, he ran his hands across Tao's chest as they kissed, Tao's hand in his hair. Sehun could not believe how different this was to any time they had been intimate in the past three years, they felt closer than they had before - and Sehun already knew that they were in sync, they were connected. 

Tao made a soft noise as Sehun broke the kiss to mouth at the other's neck, biting down on it softly. Tao liked this kind of thing, he had learnt that over the years and Tao rewarded him with Sehun's favourite sound. Tao was vocal when they were like this, Sehun just wanted this moment to last a long time. Tao let Sehun move down his chest, leaving gentle kisses on his way down, hand already stroking Tao. Tao shifted under him, partially getting more comfortable but also trying to get Sehun to stroke him in the way he liked best. 

Sehun and Tao were not fixed in their intimacy, they were both versatile but Tao was more than willing to give into Sehun today. Sehun already knew what Tao would say later, telling him it was a reward for making peace. Sehun looked up at Tao, who's eyes were already closed, "You doing good Tao?" Sehun teased a little, kissing the others lips again, hand still stroking Tao. "It's not fair that you're just lying back doing nothing." Tao's eyes opened and he narrowed them slightly before moving to stroke Sehun too. 

Sehun and Tao had had their hands on each other for years, so they knew how each other liked it. Tao's hands were moving gently on him, Sehun almost just wanted to get each other off like this, he pulled back to get the lube from the bedside table, he kept kissing Tao, not wanting to stop touching the man even for a second. He moved to gently move Tao into a position that worked better as he began to open the other up. First finger meeting more resistance than he had thought it would, Tao gently moved with him, encouraging Sehun to keep going, encouraging him to add another finger. Sehun was more than happy to oblige, giving the man everything he asked for and more. 

Tao kept moving, pulling Sehun for a kiss. "Sehun, I'm ready, I promise." 

Sehun did not need more than that, moving to prepare himself for pushing into the other. As he moved into Tao, the other shut his eyes tightly, pulling him closer. He made a few small sounds, complaining almost - but Sehun knew that Tao wanted him to keep going. It was easier to sense his soulmate than he had ever thought would be possible again. He could feel their bond strengthening as they moved together. Tao's small sounds were just encouraging Sehun more and more, Tao pulled Sehun in for a hard kiss and Sehun was so sure that they were completely on the same page, they were in sync with each other in every way. 

Tao's hand was between them stroking himself as they moved together. It had always been harder for Tao when he was receiving to get into it at first. Sehun had moved kissing the man harder, his hips moving a little harder and faster into each other. It was not a new feeling, to feel their entire being existing as one but it had been a long time since Sehun had felt their shared energy. Tao's other hand gripping onto Sehun's, grip tightening when the man brushed against his sweet spot, Tao cursed in Chinese, he was just getting louder and Sehun could literally feel Tao losing all control of himself as they moved together. 

Everything was starting to feel a bit overwhelming, it was so much - they were just so in sync with each other, they were one soul with two halves. He knew this and finally it was like the world was re-balanced again. Sehun could barely think, he could only just remember his own name let alone anything else in this world, there was only one thing on his mind, Zitao. 

Tao made a small sound that sounded like his name, Sehun slowed his hips and Tao pulled him in for a gentle kiss. "Can we change position?" Tao said with a softness that professed an innocence that really did not exist, but Sehun was beyond weak for it. He nodded and watched after he pulled out as Tao shifted onto his side, Sehun lay behind him and pressed back into the man. Tao had moved to pull Sehun's arm back over him and Sehun realised why, he was able to see both of their soul marks at the same time when they were doing it like this. 

Sehun felt the rest of the world just fade away, there was no one else in the world here but them two, just being in each other's arms. Sehun did not remember both of them finishing, but they did. He was left holding the other closer, kissing the back of Tao's shoulder as they both came down. Tao was quiet, which was usual for when they finished, it was as if his brain short circuited and he needed a few minutes to come back to reality. Sehun just kept him close to him, pulling out slowly when he began to soften. "I love you." Sehun said quietly. 

"I love you too." Tao breathed out, Sehun could feel Tao tracing along the lines of the Hanzi that made up his soul mark. Sehun knew Tao loved to do this too, to see both of their names together like this was honestly comforting to both of them. Sehun took a small breath trying to decide what to say next but it was Tao who beat him to it. "Sorry, I know we were supposed to be waiting until we were sure our bond was healed." Tao kept playing with Sehun's hand a little. "But I just, I couldn't resist. You were so excited and I just - I wanted you." Tao was still playing with Sehun's hand rather than looking at him. 

"I know, but our bond, it felt healed." Sehun said quietly. "It's probably been healed for a while but we wanted to be sure." He said, pulling him closer to keep him against him. He wondered if Tao was just as aware of their bond as Sehun was, some people were more sensitive to it than others. 

"Yeah it felt good." Tao said with a little laugh as he rolled over so he could kiss Sehun himself, hooking his leg around Sehun's waist and kissing him a few times. "It's been so long since I felt our bond like this, it was like before we ever started to hurt." Tao said as he kissed him again. "It was perfect."

\- ♡ -

Sehun had begun to feel like his life was in order, they were completely back on track and the armistice had gone through, everything was slowly getting back to normal and they were working hard to get the country back on its feet, things were going well. Production was going smoothly within the country, and Sehun had read reports that showed that they were currently doing better than the Republic of Korea.

It was unfortunate, however, to see people who were also Koreans suffering. Despite being allied, the American forces had used their chemical weapons on the fields in the South which had left them economically behind to start with. Sehun had wondered if this could lead to reunification - it was something that he thought about a lot. 

Tao was still unsure about staying in Pyongyang, but Sehun just wanted him to give it a chance once everything was sorted out. Part of the armistice was to do with the repatriation of soldiers, all the soldiers were given the choice of if they wanted to stay in the country that they were currently prisoners of war in. Sehun was in charge of keeping the records of which soldiers were remaining in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - although some were choosing to stay in China. 

There was a three month period where the soldiers could change their minds but at the end of it there were still a decent amount of people, not just other Koreans, but also United Nations soldiers who had chosen to stay and it was up to Sehun to try to find a way to integrate them into society. He found it hard to think of way that some of these people could fit in with their society, especially the non-Koreans, he was not sure there would ever be a time that they would fit in here - they had always been a rather homogeneous population - but he wanted these people to still be here. They were proof that what Sehun stood for was right. 

Tao was fully settled into his new teaching position and he and Baekhyun spent an increasing amount of time together, which was Sehun's only concern. He could not help but think about what Jongin had said to him that day about Baekhyun being a troublemaker. He knew deep down that Baekhyun would not do anything that would put them both at risk, but he could not help but worry about what it was that Jongin meant, what it would mean for Tao - and really, if they were at any kind of risk for being associated with him. Jongin was a powerful political ally, but that did not mean that they would be safe if Baekhyun did something that was disapproved of. He could not believe that Tao was so settled again, and he looked forward to coming home and seeing him, even if he was grading homework that he said was hopeless. 

Tao looked over at him one day as they were eating, "I heard that the disappearances have restarted." Tao said quietly. 

"Huh?"

"Baekhyun told me, some of the Yanan and Soviet faction politicians have been going missing." Sehun had been hoping that Tao would avoid finding all of that out, he knew that Tao was easily frightened by the news of things like this, he was easy to startle and he did not want to have another argument about it all. "I know the domestic faction has disappeared since the war." 

"Yes - they were unfortunately the last people to be evacuated and some of them got caught in the bombings." 

"Funny, that." Tao said, pushing his food around his plate. "I just... are you safe Sehun?" 

"Of course I am, Tao. We are safe. I was one of the negotiators for the armistice and our closest family friends include the man who writes all of Kim Il-Sung's speeches. We are in a great position in this society, we are going to be okay, there is nothing that should worry you." 

"You're saying I shouldn't be worried that people like me and you are being targeted?" 

"No one is being targeted Tao." Sehun said softly, the last thing he wanted was for this to become a fight. He knew that Tao felt strongly about these things, and Tao could get very passionate about things, and he was concerned that they would fissure their bond again. "It's just routine things. We have just finished a war and it turns out that not everyone is as loyal to the country as we first thought. Sometimes people have to be questioned for the information that they are sharing. There is suspicion on the Soviet Koreans because the Soviets are weakening in their communist ideals. Stalin set a great example and they are undoing his work and that is something that we have to be careful not to do. We need to remain strong in our ideals and beliefs." 

"I understand that, but it sounds like it is affecting a lot of people." Tao was an empath at heart. Sehun nodded, he had to concede that more people than he had imagined had been called in to deal with these things. He knew there were people being questioned every day - although he was not very sure what they were looking for exactly. "I just don't know if that many people could be working against the country." 

"I'm sure that those who are innocent are being released Tao." Sehun said trying to comfort his soulmate, knowing that the idea of people suffering bothered him greatly. "Please don't worry about it too much." 

"Can we please just go back to China?" Tao said putting his utensils down. "I have given it a chance Sehun, the war ended just under a year ago. I want to go home. I know you love it here, but please, can we just go back to China?"

"Tao - you aren't in danger. I assure you." Sehun just wanted him to keep going, he knew that if they just waited a little longer that everything would fall into place - that Tao would learn to love it here, he could not help it. He just knew that this was the place he was meant to be. "I promise you, by my birthday next year, if you still hate it we will leave."

"12th April 1955, and if I still hate it we leave?" 

"Yes, if you still hate it here, we will be back in China for your birthday in May." Sehun promised and Tao nodded. He had to prove to Tao that this was the place they were meant to be, but by giving him the chance to leave, he knew that he was helping to ease the other's concerns. It was not always easy to compromise - it was something that Sehun had not always been good at and he knew that he had acted selfishly in the years that they had been in Pyongyang - but he just wanted to stay here. He really loved it here. He felt like he belonged. 

"I will agree, but you need to keep safe for all that time." Tao said quietly. "People do not like people like us, mixed soulmates. I heard that some people are even shunning their own children who have soul marks that are not in Hangul." 

Sehun had heard about that, and he had tried not to think about it, there was a time even in China when people were shunned because of the language on their soul mark. It was something that he found heartbreaking; your soulmate was something that you had no control over, because it was predetermined when you were born. He wondered if there would ever be a time where there was no hierarchy to do with soul marks.

\- ♡ -

Sehun knew that Jongin was working on something for Kim Il-Sung, a big speech of some kind - something that they thought might change the entire country. Sehun was starting to worry a little, Tao was getting increasingly concerned about the way that people were going missing and it was starting to really bother him. He was no longer certain that they really would be safe if everything really did start going down. 

The country was not so impressed with the negotiations and viewed it as a disappointment - which put Sehun in a slightly weaker position. He no longer was someone who had done a good thing for his country but rather as someone who had not been able to lead the country to the glorious victory that it deserved. Kim Il-Sung did not trust Khrushchev or Mao and that had led to a distrust of those Koreans who were connected to them. This was something that confused Sehun, because he had never actually met Mao Zedong and he had not really felt that connected to him. From what Tao had told him Mao had been hungry for power rather than a true communist. 

It was hard to keep going, because as time went on more and more of him was concerned, sometimes he looked over at Tao and wondered if the other had been right all along, maybe he should get Tao out of the country. He did not want the man to get caught up in anything, he loved him more than anything. 

Tao was doing his best to not bring it up - Sehun knew that he wanted to ask to leave again but he could not. Sehun's request to wait until April next year was something that he was really taking to heart, Sehun lay awake one night lying on his back, he looked over at Tao who was sleeping curled towards him. He loved this man and he would do whatever it took to protect him. He just had to work out what the best thing to do would be, he just knew that it was going to be difficult but maybe he was going to have to give up his dream of being here to see it rise from the ashes - but if it was going to keep Tao safe, he was more than willing to do it. He loved Tao more than he could love anything else, but he just had no idea what to do. 

It was shocking for Sehun when they went to see a speech by Kim Il-Sung where he spoke of the Juche ideology, the idea that the Korean people could be self reliant. Sehun felt uncomfortable as Kim Il-Sung spoke of how all citizens must know Korean history, geography and culture, that people must be educated in a way that filled them with a fervent love for their motherland. It seemed like a clear sign that people like Tao were not entirely welcome.

Juche was going to be good for people like him, but bad for the love of his life and Sehun was unsure of how to continue. He looked over at Tao, who was just watching the speech, he moved to slip his hand into his partners. Tao gave it a little squeeze, but Sehun knew that Tao was getting increasingly concerned about their position in society. Sehun was starting to think he needed to make a plan, for before their deal was over to get the man out of the country. 

After the speech they had gone over to Jongin and Baekhyun's, Sehun could see that they were struggling - he had been seeing it on Jongin all this time and Tao had told him Baekhyun was the same, clearly they were having issues with their soul bond - which did worry Sehun, he knew how close he had come to losing his own soulmate and he never wanted Jongin to feel that fear. Tao and Baekhyun were in the kitchen talking and Sehun looked at Jongin. 

"Your bond is suffering." He said rather than asked. 

"He wants to go home," Jongin said quietly, "and I can feel him pulling away from me but what am I supposed to do? Give up on our nation? I mean, you and Tao worked it out. I'm sure it will pass."

"Just focus on your bond. Honestly, Tao felt better knowing that I was trying to fix the bond." 

"I love him." Jongin said looking over towards the kitchen. “But he just, he's really pushing me at the moment." 

"I know what you mean, Tao can be like that too." Sehun did love Tao - he really did, more than anything, but Tao could be one of the most frustrating people he had ever met in his life. He loved the man beyond belief, but sometimes he just wanted to walk away from some of their conversations. 

Sehun had watched Jongin at work, he could see Baekhyun and the discord between them was really taking a toll combined with everything that was happening with Juche. Sehun was starting to feel more and more concerned about it all and he could see the concern all over Tao's face, he knew that he had to do something about it. Tao had quit his job at the school, because some of the other language teachers had been arrested or had just vanished. Sehun knew it was getting harder to cross the Yalu river. 

He came home from work one night, and found Tao sat at their desk, writing a letter. As he approached he could see that the other was writing to his parents. "Taozi" Sehun said quietly, going to kiss his boyfriend gently. "Can we talk?" 

"Mhm, do you want to say anything to my parents?" 

"That I miss them and we'll see them soon. That's actually what I want to talk to you about." 

"My parents?" Tao said, raising a brow. "What about them? Did you get a letter?" 

"No... I want to talk about us leaving." Sehun said quietly, taking Tao's hand. 

"But we still have months until the end of the deal." Tao said softly, and Sehun felt bad he'd asked Tao for that time and he knew that the other had been repressing his fears, and had been not talking about his desire to leave as much. Tao was doing his best and Sehun was not going to make his soulmate uncomfortable.

"I want to end it now. I think we should leave." Sehun said, giving Tao's hand a squeeze. "I am sorry, I should have listened to you earlier, please forgive me Tao." 

"I - " Tao looked at Sehun. "We... are we... for real going home?" 

"Yes. I am going to sort out our papers, we can go back and we can live with my brother for a bit until we can get our own place - and just live our lives in China. I promise it will be okay and I'll - I don't know. Maybe I can join the party there, and you can do whatever you want and we can just live our lives and not worry about this anymore." Tao leaned forward and kissed Sehun gently, holding him close as he did so. 

"I love you Sehun." Tao said quietly. "We can really go home, right?" Tao said softly, and Sehun felt guilty that the other was still afraid, still unsure of their situation. 

"Of course Tao, I promised that I would keep you safe, and I think we would be safer and happier together in China." Sehun pressed a kiss to Tao's cheek. The weight felt lifted from his chest, he felt like maybe he was going to be okay. That this was going to work out in the end and that they had given everything their best chance. He just wanted to give Tao the best life and him being too concerned to leave their apartment that often was not something that he wanted for Tao. 

The next day he went to fill in the paperwork to get them the passes to go on a trip. He felt like they had deserved a holiday, and it was really not like he wanted to stop and visit within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, he had to take Tao to visit his parents - this was what he wrote on the form anyway, suggesting that the parents were unwell and they were required to go and fulfil their filial piety. As if this journey was something that was needed, to the point that there were no other options. 

Sehun smiled at the woman behind the counter as he handed in his paperwork to her, being told that he would know within the next few days if his journey would be approved. Sehun left, feeling particularly hopeful, there was no way that they would reject a trip needed to look after sick and elderly parents, it was something everyone could relate to and understand. 

Sehun was surprised when Jongin approached him at work. "Don't tell anyone I told you but your travel permit has been denied." 

"What?" 

"But Tao's has been approved." Jongin looked around the room they were in, "Baek and I have also applied to leave but he was approved and not me. It seems as if they wish to keep us here. " 

"It makes sense, we have work to do here, I just wanted to see Tao's parents, they are sick and he's their only child. They have always treated me like a son." 

"I mean, it's a cute lie, but I have a proposition for you two. Come to ours for dinner. Baekhyun is attempting Kimchi jigae - and I'm sure we have something that isn't spicy for Tao." 

Sehun spent the rest of the day anxious - he had confirmed that his travel permit had been denied all the way to the Yalu river but he had been given one to a beach resort, which was the least amount of use to him as it was in the opposite direction to China. 

He told Tao of their situation and things were starting to feel dire, he was starting to worry if there was a reason for all of this, if there was anything he could do to change this outcome. He just wanted to take his soulmate home, but it seemed that there were other plans in motion. He could understand the desire to keep Jongin, because he was still the one writing all of the speeches, but Sehun was basically nothing, he was just a little worker bee in the system. Sure, his alliance with Jongin made him somewhat more important within the governmental structure, but he was ultimately still replaceable. Just as most of them were. He had no idea what about him was so important that the government did not want him crossing the border, even if it was just for a trip. 

Tao had taken the news just as well as Sehun had anticipated. Sehun promised him that he would apply again and they would work out what they were going to do. Maybe there would be a way to fix all of this. He could try to talk to someone at the records office, there had to be someone there that he knew. He just wanted to get all of this ironed out, there had to be a way. He had that invite to go speak to Jongin and Baekhyun but he was not entirely sure Tao was up for it. Tao had left the room after he'd told him and he knew the other was lying on their bed and just staring at nothing, he knew that Tao thought this was the end - that they were going to be trapped here. 

He managed to coax Tao out of the bed, promising him with all his heart that he would find a solution, that there would be a solution - something they just had not thought of. Tao was not his normal cheerful self when they walked into the apartment of Jongin and Baekhyun.

Baekhyun peeked his head out of the kitchen. "I was starting to think you weren't coming... oh-" Sehun realised he must have caught a look at Tao, he hummed a little. "TaoTao, I could really do with your help in the kitchen." He moved to pull him in and Sehun knew that Baekhyun would do his best to try to cheer Tao up. 

Sehun moved to help Jongin with setting the table and pouring the wine for everyone. The air felt heavy, even as Jongin and Baekhyun's bond had been restored, Sehun could feel Jongin's eyes on him as if he was trying to work something out. 

They ate relatively quietly, Sehun occasionally speaking quietly in Chinese to Tao to try to encourage him to engage more in the conversations, but nothing would work. He'd never seen Tao so defeated before in his life. Sehun and Tao moved after dinner to sit with the other couple on the sofas. Sehun's hand on Tao's thigh, not wanting to break physical contact with his soulmate, their bond was driving him to need to try to distract and heal the other. 

"What is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Sehun said. Tao was listening, he knew that, but he just wished his soulmate could even just fake it a little bit. 

"Ah." Jongin said with a small smile. "Baekhyun has assured me that we can trust both of you - and during our entire time together I have felt no reason to feel the opposite, however, should you report anything we talk about today I will make sure it is you two that get arrested." 

" _Luchik_!" Baekhyun glared at Jongin, "do not threaten our friends." Baekhyun looked back at them. "Sorry about my soulmate - he appears to have forgotten how to talk to human beings, because he has spent so long talking to those vultures you call politicians." 

" _Kisa_." Jongin warned Baekhyun, and the smaller man glared, but said nothing. "I am just making sure we have an understanding." 

"We understand." Sehun said quietly. Tao nodded too, but he still did not say anything. "So what is it that you would like to propose to us?" Sehun was curious, and he hoped more than anything that it would bring Tao into this conversation, he just needed to get him out of his head. He wished Tao would start getting back in the moment. 

"Baekhyun has his permit to cross the border, and Tao has his permit." Jongin began, Baekhyun's hand on Jongin's knee, Sehun could see him squeezing it, he was nervous and Sehun was now beyond curious. "I - Will Tao take Baekhyun to China with him?" 

"No." Tao said before Sehun's brain had even caught up. "I can't leave my soulmate." Sehun looked at Tao confused by his reaction. Tao wanted to leave and Sehun wanted him to be safe, this made no sense. 

"Tao." Sehun said, knowing it was rude but he did not want the other couple getting involved so he spoke in Chinese. "Tao, baby, what are you doing? This is a good opportunity." 

"You want me to leave?" Tao answered back, looking at Sehun. "I love you, and I can't imagine my life without you, what if I leave and our bond gets too strained and we end up back where we were before? I felt like I was marooned out at sea and I know you were working or whatever, but it hurt so much. I was so angry all the time and we were fighting more because I was unable to even begin processing everything."

"Zitao, I think it would be safer for you to go with Baekhyun." 

"Is Buo Xian me?" Baekhyun interrupted in Korean. 

"Yes." Tao said with a little smile, "Sehun always tries to make names Chinese when he speaks Chinese, it apparently throws him off if he has to say Korean words." Tao shrugged, "Sorry we were being rude." Tao looked at Sehun and then back at their friends, Sehun was anxious about what Tao was going to say next. "I am... concerned about being so far apart from Sehun. It is not a secret that we struggled with our bond." 

Sehun looked at them and could see Baekhyun's look was understanding. He felt a little upset to know that his soulmate had told Baekhyun their bond was suffering, but also he felt glad that Tao had felt like there was someone there he could tell about all of his problems. He still just could not believe he had let it get that bad - what did Baekhyun think of him?

"My plan is only that you two will go to China first, we _will_ follow. You will not have to worry. I know - everything has been taking a toll on all of us regarding this country and I just want to keep Baekhyun safe, and I cannot really send him to China on his own, he doesn't speak Chinese and with his soulmark being partially faded people can get a bit weird with him. I would just feel better if I knew that you were with him and were able to make sure that he was safe, he in turn would keep you safe and I am sure Sehun would feel much better knowing you were not making the journey alone." 

"I would never go alone." Tao said, Sehun wished that Tao would stop being so difficult, he knew that Tao could be stubborn and that Tao was acting this way because he wanted to keep their bond as strong as it was currently - but also he wished that the other was able to see that everything was being suggested as a way to keep him safe. 

"Tao, I think this is a good option." Sehun said softly, squeezing Tao's thigh gently. "I love you, and I want you safe and I really think we should do this. I think we are running out of time to get you out of this country and I am not sure if it will be viable much longer. Things are really starting to worry me Tao, and I want you as far away from everything as possible."

"I'll be with you Tao." Baekhyun said softly. "We can't stay, and our soulmates can't go with us currently, they will join us." 

"Okay." Tao acquiesced. "Okay, let's do it."

\- ♡ -

Now there was an idea to set in motion it all came down to planning it. Sehun found it hard to plan - how was he supposed to just trust that his soulmate was going to be okay? Letting Tao go was going to be the hardest thing he would ever do, but he knew that they would be reunited and he knew that he was going to be safer in China than he was here. 

He just hoped that Tao understood why he was doing it. He hoped that this was the right decision and that neither of them were going to regret it, although he was starting to worry that he would never know if he was making a good choice when it came to this. He was the one who had led them here and now he was risking Tao's life just for a country that he had left when he was a child. 

That was not to say he did not love his country - he really did - but sometimes he felt afraid, he worried that maybe the rumours he could hear whispered around Pyongyang were true, that there was a move to get rid of people who were not Korean, and with Jongin appearing to be afraid it made him even more scared. He just wanted everything to be what they had been promised - but maybe there was never going to be a world where things could be perfect and they could just live in harmony, there would always be a war, an enemy, people who did not understand what it was like to be different, people who could not appreciate all kinds of love and maybe Sehun was stupid for believing that it would be any different here. 

He sat up awake at night, Tao curled up asleep facing away from him. He wished he could read Tao's mind, he had heard some soulmates could, but the closest he got was that he could feel Tao's emotions sometimes, but maybe that came from just knowing him too well. Sehun wished that Tao could just say that he was doing the right thing, even if it was a lie - it was not an easy choice for Sehun to be willing to let Tao leave without him. It was hard for him to trust that Baekhyun would look after Tao, but he knew deep down that he would - that Baekhyun was someone he could trust with his soulmate, after all he had been the one there for Tao when Sehun had failed as a soulmate. 

Sehun ran his fingers through Tao's hair, gently so as not to wake the other man. He was going to miss the simple things, sleeping next to Tao, the way that Tao looked when he was just waking up, Tao's laugh, his smile, the way his hand felt in his. Sehun kept telling himself that he was going to be okay, that shortly after that he would join Tao and everything would be perfect. 

Tao was the one who had been taking it the hardest, and Sehun had also worried for their bond because Tao was so upset at the idea of them being physically far apart from each other. They had not been that far apart since the war and he knew that Tao was being reminded of that time - which was something he had never wanted. 

Tao had a little bag packed for his trip, and Jongin had told him that Baekhyun had one too. They had picked the date for them to leave, got the final approval and they were just counting down the days. Sehun lay back down and pulled Tao against him, holding him close, arm tightly around the man as if he would disappear into smoke if he let go. 

Tao mumbled waking up. "Sehun?" sleep clung to his voice, his accent strong, slurring his words. "Everything okay?" 

"I love you." 

"I love you too." 

"I'm going to miss you, more than words." 

"I will too." Tao said quietly. "But you and Jongin will join us, you promised." 

"I know and I've never broken a promise to you." Sehun said softly, kissing the back of Tao's neck. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you." Tao made a small sound and Sehun just listened, hearing the sound of the others breathing eventually level out. He loved sleeping next to Tao and he knew he had to be strong - because Tao would back out if he knew what Sehun really felt, how scared he was, how much he was hurting. 

Sehun wondered if Jongin and Baekhyun were having the same dilemma, the pain that they would feel to be apart, was it really going to worth it in the end? Sehun knew it was unsafe here, but could they really do nothing to protect their partners, was there really no way to keep everyone safe at the end of the day? 

He tried to go about his days as usual, although it hurt in his heart to know that his time was running out. It felt like he was being shot and was slowly bleeding out, knowing that he was going to be separated from his soulmate until they could find a way to get the permits. He did not care if he had to beg to be sent to Beijing on a diplomatic mission, he would do whatever it took to get to China and then he would find somewhere - anywhere Tao wanted - and they would restart their lives, as if the past decade had never even existed. It felt weird to throw away ten years of his life - but there was really no other choice, if this country was not safe for his partner then he did not want to be here. 

Sehun had noticed that more and more people from the Yanan faction were disappearing, he had noticed that their number had been diminishing and everyone he asked just told him that someone had been investigated, there were few people who had gone to visit villages that Sehun was sure was a lie, as well as a few suicides. It seemed to be the general consensus that they were probably murders in disguise. Sehun knew it was happening in the Soviet faction too, he could see there were less - but distrust was at a high so the factions were barely talking to anyone outside of their groups. 

It had become difficult for him and Jongin to talk at work because both sides were unsure of who was sharing what. Sehun was also well aware that influential people within the Yanan faction did not like Jongin, he was close to Kim Il-Sung, so if he were to suggest that the Yanan faction was planning to stage a coup it would be the end for them all. They were, of course, not planning on staging a coup - they all valued their lives too much for that - but there had been rumours that that was why people were going missing, that they had been plotting against Kim Il-Sung. Sehun was not sure who would be foolish enough to try that without the power of the military behind you, and the military was always going to be on Kim Il-Sung's side - he was a legendary guerrilla fighter, and they had all heard the stories. 

He hated the discussions about things that were in the end, frivolous. Who really cared if Pyongyang's parade should have more floats than the last time? They should be discussing the mining of anthracite coal - it was the most efficient coal when it was burnt so they could capitalise on energy production, but that would mean investing in mining equipment and it seemed that almost everyone else was really pushing for nuclear power, because the byproducts could be used for nuclear armament, and it was hard to tell a country to stop producing electricity. Sehun did not speak much in these meetings anyway, he had no intention of being here in the long run and he was starting to worry that every response was going to be recorded and used against you, should someone decide that you look like you might try to start a coup. 

All Sehun had to do was keep his head down until he could get out and everything would be okay. He noticed that Jongin was actually more vocal, more openly supportive of the party - trying to gain his ticket out of here through garnering favour. Jongin had always been better at playing the game than Sehun and was something that he was sure was going to make him more favourable, but Sehun just could not, he did not know to pull off the sycophantic politics that seemed to rule this political landscape. He knew that him and Jongin were on the same team - but he just wasn't sure he would be able to uphold his end of the bargain. 

Maybe he would never get permission to leave.

\- ♡ - 

The day they were going to leave came too soon. Tao had checked what he had packed over and over and was now fully dressed to leave. Sehun handed him his papers and Tao put them in his pocket. 

"Are you sure?" Tao said quietly, barely more than a whisper. Sehun nodded, "really?"

"Really Tao, I need you to be as safe as possible. I love you more than life. I need you to be safe." Sehun cupped Tao's cheek and pulled him in for a kiss. He knew he would not get many more of these for a while and he just wanted to savour the other. "I will be with you in no time. Until then you can start planning what you want our new place to look like, I'm sure you've already got something in mind." 

"I don't, I just need you Sehun." Tao said. It was hard, but they had decided to do their more emotional goodbye here, before they went to Jongin and Baekhyun's. Tao was easy to cry and Sehun knew the other would cry on the way there but they wanted to limit the crying in front of people where possible, knowing it would make things suspicious. 

Tears were already welling in Tao's eyes and Sehun just kissed him again desperately to make their reality different, he wanted to be able to say he didn't mean it. But the truth was, that at every chance he had not changed his mind, he still thought this was the only way to keep the man safe - and he was not going to put Tao at risk any longer. 

"Please don't cry Tao." Sehun said quietly. "If you cry then I will and then we're both going to be in bits all day." Sehun kissed Tao's cheek, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I love you." Sehun said against the other's ear. "I love you so much, I'm doing this because I love you. Please don't forget that." 

"I won't." Tao said holding Sehun just as tight. "I love you too, I love you so much Sehun, I would go to the end of the Earth for you. I'm sorry that it didn't work out here, I really wanted it to be everything you had dreamed of and more. I wanted to make it work here - I know you thought I was being difficult on purpose, but I really was not. I wanted here to be perfect. I wanted you to be happy." 

"I am happy when you are." Sehun said softly. "I would be happy anywhere as long as you were smiling. I forgot that for a time but I have remembered who I am and who we are - I know that all I need for happiness is you to be safe and well, and if it means doing this, then this is what I will do." Sehun pulled back and gently fixed Tao's jacket, it was warm out but Tao always liked to wear jackets and it was good while travelling anyway. "Remember you're just going to visit your sick parents. That's what your form says." 

"I know. I am just going to visit my sick parents and look after them. Then I will come back because I cannot bear to be apart from my soulmate for too long." Tao gave Sehun a smile, "Baekhyun told me it's always best when you're lying to stick as close to the truth as possible and I really cannot be apart from you for too long." He pouted. "It hurts." 

"I know." Sehun said with a small smile. "It hurts me too, and we will not wait long, I will do everything to get to you." He gave his partner one last kiss before sighing. "Okay shall we go see if Jongin and Baekhyun are ready to go?" Sehun forced a smile, because he was not going to cry - he was not going to get upset over doing the right thing. 

They walked to the other apartment and were greeted by a rather disheveled looking Jongin, clearly this was hitting him just as hard as it was hitting them. Jongin let them in and poured them both a drink. Tao was clearly nervous and Sehun slipped his hand into Tao's trying to keep him calm. 

"Okay, so I have checked the times of the trains and the next one leaves Pyongyang in about forty-five minutes." Jongin said almost robotically, as if they were not really going to be leaving. "I think Baekhyun has packed some food, don't stop for anything. Take the train and then leave as soon as you can." 

"Yes." Tao confirmed, "I also practiced what to say when we are asked about our journey on the way and at the border. Sehun has already contacted his brother and they have agreed to allow us to live with them until you both are able to join us." Tao said regurgitating all the information that he had been told about what was going to happen. "I know the way to his house, I mean I could always find my way back home. I promise I will get Baekhyun there safely."

Sehun smiled when he saw Jongin looking back towards the bedroom. "Is Baek ready to go?" 

Baekhyun came out of the bedroom and looked at them all. "We're crossing the Yalu river as soon as we get there Zitao, I know there is a move against both the Russians and the Chinese." 

"I know, we need to leave. We should have left weeks ago." Tao said looking over at Sehun and sighing, "Sehun, we will try to send word as soon as we get to your brother’s." Tao said, stepping closer to Sehun and giving him a soft kiss. 

They were all jolted at the knock on the door, and before Jongin could answer the police entered, Sehun's hand moved to Tao's and gripped it tightly, a pang of guilt at the relief at thought he had that they were here for Baekhyun and not Tao.

"Byun Baekhyun you are being charged with - " 

"No." Jongin moved to pull Baekhyun back. "Don't you dare come into my house and accuse my - "   
The soldier punched Jongin and Baekhyun screamed, trying to scramble to him. Sehun stood dumbfounded, hands on Tao, refusing to let go. He gripped tighter as they fought. Tao stepped out of his grip and moved to get involved, no matter how much Sehun tried to keep him here, keep him safe, keep him out of it. 

" _Luchik_." Baekhyun breathed out against the chaos when Jongin was pulled up, so he was kneeling, Baekhyun had his cheek cupped and Tao was doing his best to give them a moment. " _Luchik_ , babydoll, it's okay. Let them take me, don't get hurt." Baekhyun stood back up and looked defiant. "So what is my crime then?" 

"Treason and espionage, same as Huang Zitao" Sehun's world stopped turning, he knew what that meant, there was no trial, there was no way to get them out of this. Tao looked straight at him, and Sehun felt sick, all of the times Tao had tried to get him to leave that he'd rebuffed over the years, he'd done this. 

Jongin was on his knees, "No- No- No- this can't be, this can't be. I know Kim Il-Sung. I know him. I write for him. Call him. Call him now. He will tell you. He will tell you." Jongin was practically screaming. 

A guard sneered a little, "Who do you think gave this order?" 

"Бэк, Бэк - я тебя люблю, Прошу прощения, Прости" Jongin was still being held back - and Sehun was surprised to hear Jongin speaking Russian, he'd never heard it before, and it broke his heart, Baekhyun was being pushed out and Tao was still fighting to not get grabbed. 

"Say it in Korean _Luchik_ , I love you." Baekhyun was fighting to stay in the room trying to stay long enough for Jongin to say it again. 

"Baek, I love you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, he was crying, and so was Baekhyun, "I just wanted to keep you safe." 

Tao had been grabbed now and the guards were dragging him out, at first Tao fought but then he stopped, he just let them take him out. Sehun followed down the stairs - he knew he didn't want to see it, but he couldn't bear them being alone and he didn't want to see Jongin when it happened. Tao was ahead of him, walking towards the square when a shot rang out, and the sound from the apartment building would lead you to believe that it was Jongin who'd been shot, he was screaming but it didn't sound human. 

Sehun looked at Tao he was terrified, he knew he was going to feel it and he was frightened. He wished he could go back, he wished he could fix it all. They stopped Tao in the square and people had come out. Minseok was watching, faded soulmark visible. Tao stopped looking at Sehun, "Wu. Shi. Xun." 

"Huang. Zi. Tao." Sehun replied and then the shot blew and Sehun couldn't remember, he knew he hit the ground, he knew he was screaming but the world was silent as they lay on the pavement facing each other, Tao's eyes closed as if he was sleeping. S

ehun's wrist burned, his mark fading to a scar, but the marks on Tao's wrist were as bold as ever, he stared at them, stared at him, his Tao. He didn't know when Minseok had gotten to him, but he was being pulled up and Sehun suddenly felt the world returning, he was screaming. 

"You're murderers, he did nothing wrong, he did nothing wrong." He was repetitive, he didn't care, he just lost the best part of him and everyone was just watching, they'd all just watched as Kim Il-Sung had done this to them, slowly removing the foreigners. "You think he's so great, but what kind of leade - " Sehun was cut off by Minseok's hand. 

"Sehun." Minseok's voice was calm. "Sehun, listen to me right now." Minseok was speaking Chinese so the guards didn't understand. "Do not finish what you were going to say. Zitao wanted you safe, did you see him? He stopped fighting, not because he gave up but because if he'd fought, they'd have taken you too. He loves you. I know it hurts but we have to be smart." Sehun didn't say anything when Minseok removed his hand, he just cried against his friend, his heart was cut in pieces and he felt fractured. He was nothing without Tao. Minseok moved so they were on the ground and just held him. 

"This was supposed to be a utopia." Sehun breathed out, "we were supposed to be safe." 

"We were wrong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, Thank you to the readers who have gotten this far, and read my fic about two soulmates just trying to get through a difficult time. I love this time period more than someone should and I really wanted to share it with you all, so thank you.
> 
> Thank you so much to T who listened to me cry about this plot more than once, and was honestly one of the only reasons I didn't drop out despite my _many_ break downs.
> 
> Thank you so much to C who helped me compile my glossary as well as proof-read the whole thing literally two hours after finding out I had finished. 
> 
> Thank you to Lime for your Beta work, your support and your general chats, without you I would never have thought to break my narrative.
> 
> Thank you much to the group of writers on discord that both encouraged me to write this and were my guinea pigs when I needed to check my glossary. You are all wonderful and I am so sorry you also had to deal with my constant begging for someone else to write this fic.


End file.
